A Qualitative Study of Undergraduate International Students' Everyday Experiences with Cross-Cultural Interactions and the Student Adjustment Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burkhardt, Joan Wilkinson

2013-01-01

The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to understand how everyday cross-cultural interactions affected the adjustment of undergraduate international students attending a private research university in the northeastern United States. To fulfill this purpose, three research questions were formulated as a foundation for this investigation:…

Export Odyssey: An Exposition and Analytical Review of Literature Concerning an Undergraduate Student Project in International Marketing on Key Teaching-Learning Dimensions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williamson, Nicholas C.

2001-01-01

Describes Export Odyssey (EO), a structured, Internet-intensive, team-based undergraduate student project in international marketing. Presents an analytical review of articles in the literature that relate to three key teaching-learning dimensions of student projects (experiential versus non-experiential active learning, team-based versus…

The Role of High School Research Experiences in Shaping Students' Research Self-Efficacy and Preparation for Undergraduate Research Participation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swan, Amy K.; Inkelas, Karen Kurotsuchi; Jones, Jill N.; Pretlow, Joshua; Keller, Tierney F.

2018-01-01

The effects of undergraduate research participation are well documented, but less is known about students' pathways into undergraduate research participation. This mixed-methods study explored the role of an International Baccalaureate research project in students' development of research self-efficacy in high school, and how this development…

Political Beliefs and the Academic Responsibilities of Undergraduate Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frueh, Jamie; Blaney, David L.; Dunn, Kevin; Goff, Patricia; Leonard, Eric K.; Sharoni, Simona

2008-01-01

This forum reconstructs a roundtable discussion about the academic responsibilities of International Relations professors with respect to their undergraduate students. Specifically, participants discuss the proper pedagogical role of professors' personal political beliefs and the best ways to encourage undergraduate students to engage political…

U.S. Higher Education Classroom Experiences of Undergraduate Chinese International Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Valdez, Gabriela

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore undergraduate Chinese international students' perceptions about their classroom experiences in the United States institutions of higher education. Double consciousness, introduced by W.E.B. Du Bois, was used as the theoretical framework for this study. After analyzing the 15 interviews to Chinese…

The Challenges and Rewards of an International Undergraduate Student Learning Interaction in Geography

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baiio, Wasang; Ray, Waverly C.

2011-01-01

In the spring of 2007, approximately 50 undergraduate introductory geography students in Papua New Guinea and the United States participated in a four-week international collaboration using the nationalism module available from the Association of American Geographers' Center for Global Geography Education. This paper reports on the challenges and…

The Undergraduate Field-Research Experience in Global Health: Study Abroad, Service Learning, Professional Training or "None of the Above"?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stewart, Kearsley A.

2013-01-01

Interest in short-term international placements in global health training for U.S.-based medical students is growing; the trend is mirrored for global health undergraduate students. Best practices in field-based global health training can increase success for medical students, but we lack a critical framework for the undergraduate global health…

Internationalizing undergraduate psychology education: Trends, techniques, and technologies.

PubMed

Takooshian, Harold; Gielen, Uwe P; Plous, Scott; Rich, Grant J; Velayo, Richard S

2016-01-01

How can we best internationalize undergraduate psychology education in the United States and elsewhere? This question is more timely than ever, for at least 2 reasons: Within the United States, educators and students seek greater contact with psychology programs abroad, and outside the United States, psychology is growing apace, with educators and students in other nations often looking to U.S. curricula and practices as models. In this article, we outline international developments in undergraduate psychology education both in the United States and abroad, and analyze the dramatic rise of online courses and Internet-based technologies from an instructional and international point of view. Building on the recommendations of the 2005 APA Working Group on Internationalizing the Undergraduate Psychology Curriculum, we then advance 14 recommendations on internationalizing undergraduate psychology education--for students, faculty, and institutions. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

International Doctoral Graduates from China and South Korea: A Trend Analysis of the Association between the Selectivity of Undergraduate and That of US Doctoral Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Dongbin; Roh, Jin-young

2017-01-01

This study explores whether patterns of doctorate attainment among Chinese and Korean international students in the USA have changed over time, both in terms of quantity (i.e., number of international students) and quality (i.e., the selectivity of the undergraduate and doctoral institutions), and whether these changes reflect the improvements in…

An Empirical Investigation on Chinese High School Students' Choice of Pursuing Undergraduate Education Abroad

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Jiankun

2014-01-01

Globalization has greatly promoted student mobility around the world. Being a developing economy, China witnessed significant growth of students studying internationally, especially with the number of students study at undergraduate programs. However, empirical research on high school students' choice and the decision-making process of pursuing…

Acculturation and Hope as Predictors of Career Decision Self-Efficacy among Korean International Undergraduate Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

In, Hyoyeon

2016-01-01

This study examined the role of acculturation to the host culture, acculturation to the home culture, and dispositional hope in career decision self-efficacy (CDSE) in a sample of 213 Korean international undergraduate students enrolled in U.S. universities. The findings revealed that hope and acculturation to the host culture uniquely and…

Postsecondary Education for International Undergraduate Students with Learning Disabilities in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alabdulwahab, Reem

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to examine the experiences of international undergraduate students who are identified with learning disabilities and enrolled in universities in the United States. There is a dearth of studies investigating the unique needs and challenges of this population. This is the first study to explore the phenomenon of…

The Impact of Conflict on International Student Mobility: A Case Study of International Students Studying in Israel

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ben-Tsur, Dalia

2009-01-01

This paper explores the impact of conflict on international student mobility. Through an examination of undergraduate, international students studying in Israel, this case study questions how and if a situation of ongoing violent conflict affects international student travel decisions to study in a host country. Contrary to assumptions of…

Near-peer mentorship for undergraduate training in Ugandan medical schools: views of undergraduate students

PubMed Central

Rukundo, Godfrey Zari; Burani, Aluonzi; Kasozi, Jannat; Kirimuhuzya, Claude; Odongo, Charles; Mwesigwa, Catherine; Byona, Wycliff; Kiguli, Sarah

2016-01-01

Introduction Masters Students are major stakeholders in undergraduate medical education but their contribution has not been documented in Uganda. The aim of the study was to explore and document views and experiences of undergraduate students regarding the role of masters students as educators in four Ugandan medical schools. Methods This was a cross-sectional descriptive study using qualitative data collection methods. Eight Focus Group Discussions were conducted among eighty one selected preclinical and clinical students in the consortium of four Ugandan medical schools: Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Makerere College of Health Sciences, Gulu University and Kampala International University, Western Campus. Data analysis was done using thematic analysis. Participants’ privacy and confidentiality were respected and participant identifiers were not included in data analysis. Results Undergraduate students from all the medical schools viewed the involvement of master's students as very important. Frequent contact between masters and undergraduate students was reported as an important factor in undergraduate students’ motivation and learning. Despite the useful contribution, master’ students face numerous challenges like heavy workload and conflicting priorities. Conclusion According to undergraduate students in Ugandan medical schools, involvement of master's students in the teaching and learning of undergraduate students is both useful and challenging to masters and undergraduate students. Masters students provide peer mentorship to the undergraduate students. The senior educators are still needed to do their work and also to support the master's students in their teaching role. PMID:27347289

Undergraduate medical academic performance is improved by scientific training.

PubMed

Zhang, Lili; Zhang, Wei; Wu, Chong; Liu, Zhongming; Cai, Yunfei; Cao, Xingguo; He, Yushan; Liu, Guoxiang; Miao, Hongming

2017-09-01

The effect of scientific training on course learning in undergraduates is still controversial. In this study, we investigated the academic performance of undergraduate students with and without scientific training. The results show that scientific training improves students' test scores in general medical courses, such as biochemistry and molecular biology, cell biology, physiology, and even English. We classified scientific training into four levels. We found that literature reading could significantly improve students' test scores in general courses. Students who received scientific training carried out experiments more effectively and published articles performed better than their untrained counterparts in biochemistry and molecular biology examinations. The questionnaire survey demonstrated that the trained students were more confident of their course learning, and displayed more interest, motivation and capability in course learning. In summary, undergraduate academic performance is improved by scientific training. Our findings shed light on the novel strategies in the management of undergraduate education in the medical school. © 2017 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 45(5):379-384, 2017. © 2017 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Experiences from Cross-Institutional Exchanges of Undergraduate Business Student Written Cases

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ross, Douglas N.; Zufan, Pavel; Rosenbloom, Al

2008-01-01

This article describes an undergraduate course assignment that required 134 students in 52 student teams from three universities, two in the United States and one in the Czech Republic, to write, exchange, and give constructive feedback on a student-written strategic management or international business case and its accompanying teaching note. The…

The Influence of Problems Faced during Internships on Interns' Views of Their Profession and Their Intention to Work in the Tourism Industry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kasli, Mehmet; Ilban, Mehmet Oguzhan

2013-01-01

Problem Statement: The problem of this research is identifying the difficulties that undergraduate students experience during their internships and assessing their future intention to work in the tourism industry. Purpose of Study: This research aims to identify the problems undergraduate students encounter as interns in tourism programs and to…

International clinical placements for Australian undergraduate nursing students: A systematic thematic synthesis of the literature.

PubMed

Browne, Caroline A; Fetherston, Catherine M; Medigovich, Kristina

2015-10-01

International clinical placements provide undergraduate nursing students with the opportunity to experience or practice nursing care in diverse countries, settings, and cultures. This systematic review aims to ascertain the current knowledge on international clinical placements offered by undergraduate nursing programs in Australia. It seeks to explore three questions: (1) How have previous experiences of nursing students' international clinical placements been described? (2) How have participants and stakeholders determined if the placement has been successful? And (3) What benefits or challenges have been identified by stakeholders as a result of participating in international clinical placements? A systematic thematic synthesis was undertaken. A search of electronic databases including CINAHL, Proquest Central, Scopus, PubMed, and Health Collection was undertaken between September and October 2014. Key terms including 'international clinical placement', 'study abroad', 'international exchange', 'nursing', and 'Australia' were used to identify articles that appeared in peer-reviewed English language journals and that explored international clinical placements offered to undergraduate nursing students by Australian universities. Eight studies were identified that meet the inclusion criteria, and through thematic analysis, five key themes were identified including developing cultural awareness and competence, providing a global perspective on health care, translation of theory to practice, growing personally through reflection, and overcoming apprehension to successfully meet the challenge. A comparison search of literature from Canada and the United Kingdom revealed that similar themes occurred internationally. Although personal successes were identified by students undertaking international clinical placement, further research is required to identify all stakeholder experiences including those of the educators, the educational institutions, and travel providers supporting these placements and the communities where the placements take place. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A biosafety level 2 virology lab for biotechnology undergraduates.

PubMed

Matza-Porges, Sigal; Nathan, Dafna

2017-11-01

Medical, industrial, and basic research relies heavily on the use of viruses and vectors. Therefore, it is important that bioscience undergraduates learn the practicalities of handling viruses. Teaching practical virology in a student laboratory setup presents safety challenges, however. The aim of this article is to describe the design and implementation of a virology laboratory, with emphasis on student safety, for biotechnology undergraduates. Cell culture techniques, animal virus infection, quantification, and identification are taught at a biosafety level 2 for a diverse group of undergraduates ranging from 20 to 50 students per group. © 2017 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 45(6):537-543, 2017. © 2017 The Authors Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Development of a structured undergraduate research experience: Framework and implications.

PubMed

Brown, Anne M; Lewis, Stephanie N; Bevan, David R

2016-09-10

Participating in undergraduate research can be a pivotal experience for students in life science disciplines. Development of critical thinking skills, in addition to conveying scientific ideas in oral and written formats, is essential to ensuring that students develop a greater understanding of basic scientific knowledge and the research process. Modernizing the current life sciences research environment to accommodate the growing demand by students for experiential learning is needed. By developing and implementing a structured, theory-based approach to undergraduate research in the life sciences, specifically biochemistry, it has been successfully shown that more students can be provided with a high-quality, high-impact research experience. The structure of this approach allowed students to develop novel, independent projects in a computational molecular modeling lab. Students engaged in an experience in which career goals, problem-solving skills, time management skills, and independence in a research lab were developed. After experiencing this approach to undergraduate research, students reported feeling challenged to think critically and prepared for future career paths. The approach allowed for a progressive learning environment where more undergraduate students could participate in publishable research. Future areas for development include implementation in a bench-top lab and extension to disciplines beyond biochemistry. In this study, it has been shown that utilizing the structured approach to undergraduate research could allow for more students to experience undergraduate research and develop into more confident, independent life scientists well prepared for graduate schools and professional research environments. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 44(5):463-474, 2016. © 2016 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

An international model for staffing maternal and child health research: the use of undergraduate students.

PubMed

Wallis, Anne Baber; Chereches, Răzvan; Oprescu, Florin; Brînzaniuc, Alexandra; Dungy, Claibourne I

2007-09-01

Constrained resources in Central and Eastern Europe limit the capacity of local and national health ministries to study breastfeeding practices or implement evidence-based breastfeeding support programs. This paper describes an innovative model for studying an important maternal and child health (MCH) problem by training undergraduate students to strengthen local capacity for research. An international team of researchers from Romania and the United States designed a study conducted at Babeş-Bolyai University and two academic maternity hospitals in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. The objectives were to (1) spark interest in breastfeeding research among undergraduates, (2) develop empirical knowledge about breastfeeding, and (3) train a team of undergraduate students to collect, manage, and enter study data. A team of carefully selected undergraduate students was trained in survey design, data collection, data entry, and interviewing skills. Internet technology was used to facilitate communication and to transfer data. The project resulted in a trained cadre of undergraduate students able to conduct survey research on breastfeeding practices with skills ranging from questionnaire design and implementation to descriptive data analysis. Empirical data obtained from the study will be used for student projects, to stimulate new breastfeeding support policies and programs, and to apply for research grants. Undergraduate students in developing countries in Central and Eastern Europe are a valuable, untapped resource for expanding MCH capacity. We recommend adoption of this cost-effective approach to foster high-quality MCH research.

Need Assessment of Enhancing the Weightage of Applied Biochemistry in the Undergraduate Curriculum at MGIMS, Sevagram

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kumar, Satish; Jena, Lingaraja; Vagha, Jayant

2016-01-01

In order to review the need assessment of enhancing the weightage of Applied Biochemistry in the undergraduate curriculum at Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (MGIMS), Sevagram, a validated questionnaire was sent to 453 participants which include 387 undergraduate students, 11 interns, 23 postgraduate students, and 32 faculty members. A…

Exploring the Perceptions of Study Abroad among Black Undergraduates at Historically Black Colleges and Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaines, Nykia Dionne

2012-01-01

International education helps students become more engaged within the United States and abroad. Black undergraduates continue to be underrepresented in study abroad despite two decades of increased enrollment by Black students in higher education in the United States. This study had three purposes: (1) to explore how Black undergraduates attending…

Office of International Affairs | NSU

Science.gov Websites

NSU has to offer undergraduate students. Student Life Learn why the years you spend at NSU will be , dentistry, law, and psychology. Certificate Receive a graduate level certificate to enhance your skills II teams. Living on Campus On campus housing options for undergraduate and graduate students. Clubs

A Virtual Educational Exchange: A North-South Virtually Shared Class on Sustainable Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abrahamse, Augusta; Johnson, Mathew; Levinson, Nanette; Medsker, Larry; Pearce, Joshua M.; Quiroga, Carla; Scipione, Ruth

2015-01-01

Increasingly, international competence is considered an important skill to be acquired from an undergraduate education. Because international exchange presents a challenge to many students, there is a need to develop and implement alternative means for incorporating international and cross-cultural experiences into the undergraduate classroom. We…

A Critical-Holistic Analysis of Nursing Faculty and Student Interest in International Health.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Maria da Gloria Miotto; Korniewicz, Denise M.; Zerbe, Melissa

2001-01-01

Responses from 211 undergraduate and 23 graduate nursing students and 38 faculty revealed substantial interest in international health. Faculty had numerous international experiences; many students had traveled abroad and one-third considered international health a career priority. The need for a broad interdisciplinary framework rather than…

Journal of Undergraduate Research, Volume VIII, 2008

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stiner, K. S.; Graham, S.; Khan, M.

Th e Journal of Undergraduate Research (JUR) provides undergraduate interns the opportunity to publish their scientific innovation and to share their passion for education and research with fellow students and scientists. Fields in which these students worked include: Biology; Chemistry; Computer Science; Engineering; Environmental Science; General Sciences; Materials Sciences; Medical and Health Sciences; Nuclear Sciences; Physics; Science Policy; and Waste Management.

Student Experience of Final-Year Undergraduate Research Projects: An Exploration of "Research Preparedness"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shaw, Kylie; Holbrook, Allyson; Bourke, Sid

2013-01-01

During this past decade the level of interest in building research capacity has intensified in Australia and internationally, with a particular emphasis on the development of postgraduate research students, but also extending to undergraduate research experience. This study investigated the student experience across a diverse range of fourth-year…

Trends in Basic Mathematical Competencies of Beginning Undergraduates in Ireland, 2003-2013

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Treacy, Páraic; Faulkner, Fiona

2015-01-01

Deficiencies in beginning undergraduate students' basic mathematical skills has been an issue of concern in higher education, particularly in the past 15 years. This issue has been tracked and analysed in a number of universities in Ireland and internationally through student scores recorded in mathematics diagnostic tests. Students beginning…

Student Attitude towards and Use of Powerpoint[R] Slides as Study Guides in Undergraduate Introductory Financial Accounting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kozub, Robert M.

2010-01-01

This study examines undergraduate business students' attitude towards and use of Powerpoint[R] slides provided as a supplement to class attendance, textbook reading, and other traditional course resources. A survey of students with six majors (accounting, finance, marketing, management, international business and management information systems)…

Advising Undergraduates in a Department of Soil Science and/or Agronomy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Gerhard B.

1987-01-01

Offers suggestions to advisers of undergraduate students in agriculture. Recommends that advisers be competent, concerned, compassionate, and provide an open-door attitude toward their advisees. Suggests that students be guided toward good study habits and participation in intern programs. (TW)

Uncovering Students' Preconceptions of Undergraduate Research Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adedokun, Omolola A.; Burgess, Wilella D.

2011-01-01

Like all learners, undergraduate research interns bring to their research internships a variety of initial ideas, opinions, expectations, beliefs and attitudes about research internships. However, there is little published research on students' preconceptions about research internships and the relationships of these preconceptions to actual…

Minority International Research Training Program: Global Collaboration in Nursing Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McElmurry, Beverly J.; Misner, Susan J.; Buseh, Aaron G.

2003-01-01

The Minority International Research Training Program pairs minority nursing students with faculty mentors at international sites for short-term research. A total of 26 undergraduate, 22 graduate, and 6 postdoctoral students have participated. Challenges include recruitment, orientation, and preparation of students; identification and preparation…

Oceans Crossing: Factors Contributing to the Social and Academic Integration of Korean, Malaysian, and Taiwanese International Undergraduate Students at a Research University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pham, Hoa

2013-01-01

The number of international students, especially Asian international students, studying at colleges and universities in the United States has increased dramatically during the past 50 years. As the fastest growing population on campus, Asian international students are also attracting more attention than ever before in higher education. However,…

The Relation of an International Student Center's Orientation Training Sessions with International Students' Achievement and Integration to University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Güvendir, Meltem Acar

2018-01-01

The purpose of the research is to examine the relation of orientation training sessions with integration and achievement of the international students. The study used the Institutional Integration Scales, developed by Pascarella and Terenzini (1980), to examine the integration level of the international students. 181 freshmen undergraduate and…

Intercultural Learning--An Undergraduate Module Supporting the Development of Students' Cultural Awareness in International Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colaiacomo, Silvia; Puntil, Donata

2018-01-01

This report illustrates the context and development of the Intercultural Learning module, provided by the Modern Language Centre (MLC), King's College London. The Intercultural Learning Module is a one semester undergraduate course mostly attended by visiting study abroad students. The module aims to enhance students' intercultural awareness and…

Evaluating the Effectiveness of the International Dimension in an Undergraduate Curriculum by Assessing Students' Intercultural Sensitivity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilkey, Sarah Ruth

2013-01-01

This evaluation research revealed that students' intercultural sensitivity (IS) scores did not change regardless of the type of class in which the student was enrolled. IS scores were not significantly different based on gender, age, ethnicity, undergraduate classification, college enrollment, and number of "I" courses taken. There were…

Journal of Undergraduate Research, Volume IX, 2009

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stiner, K. S.; Graham, S.; Khan, M.

Each year more than 600 undergraduate students are awarded paid internships at the Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Laboratories. Th ese interns are paired with research scientists who serve as mentors in authentic research projects. All participants write a research abstract and present at a poster session and/or complete a fulllength research paper. Abstracts and selected papers from our 2007–2008 interns that represent the breadth and depth of undergraduate research performed each year at our National Laboratories are published here in the Journal of Undergraduate Research. The fields in which these students worked included: Biology; Chemistry; Computer Science; Engineering; Environmentalmore » Science; General Science; Materials Science; Medical and Health Sciences; Nuclear Science; Physics; Science Policy; and Waste Management.« less

Partnerships to Accelerate Globalization on Campus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bataille, Gretchen M.

2017-01-01

Bringing international students to study at U.S. campuses is increasingly viewed as the best option to globalize the campus, yet the United States lags behind other countries in providing opportunities for international students, particularly at the undergraduate level. Although the one million international students studying in the United States…

Internationalization of Canadian Higher Education: Discrepancies between Policies and International Student Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guo, Yan; Guo, Shibao

2017-01-01

The internationalization of higher education in Canada is happening at a rapid pace. One manifestation of internationalization is the increasing enrolment of international students in Canadian institutions. There is little research on international undergraduate students' experiences from their own perspectives as they adapt to a new educational…

The Interplay of International Students' Acculturative Stress, Social Support, and Acculturation Modes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sullivan, Christopher; Kashubeck-West, Susan

2015-01-01

This study examined the relationship between acculturation modes (assimilation, integration, separation and marginalization), social support, and acculturative stress in undergraduate and graduate international students (N=104) at a medium-sized public university in the Midwestern United States. The study found that international students with…

Undergraduate Regional Migration in the UK: Perspectives on Local Markets and Trends for Gender and International Student Groups

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McClelland, Robert J.; Gandy, Robert J.

2012-01-01

This article presents an analysis of degree course acceptances for UK undergraduate students in 2002 and 2008. It examines student mobility between the UK regions, and the trends in their movement within local markets. Data shows a growing trend for students to study within local regions, especially women. Increases in acceptances of over 10% are…

A flexible e-learning resource promoting the critical reading of scientific papers for science undergraduates.

PubMed

Letchford, Julie; Corradi, Hazel; Day, Trevor

2017-11-01

An important aim of undergraduate science education is to develop student skills in reading and evaluating research papers. We have designed, developed, and implemented an on-line interactive resource entitled "Evaluating Scientific Research literature" (ESRL) aimed at students from the first 2 years of the undergraduate program. In this article, we describe the resource, then use student data collected from questionnaire surveys to evaluate the resource within 2 years of its launch. Our results add to those reported previously and indicate that ESRL can enable students to start evaluating research articles when used during their undergraduate program. We conclude maximal learning is likely to occur when the resource can be embedded in the curriculum such that students have a clearly articulated context for the resource's activities, can see their relevance in relation to assessed assignments and can be encouraged to think deeply about the activities in conversation with one another and/or with staff. © 2017 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 45(6):483-490, 2017. © 2017 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

The Secret Lives of Undergraduate International Business Students: An Analysis of Cross-Cultural Experience in Multinational Corporations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pederson de Castaneda, Viann

This study involved students majoring in business/economics and foreign language in an international business program. The students were participants in a semester-long international experience where students were integrated into a host university to learn about management, economics, and marketing from professors abroad, and in an internship in a…

Undergraduate Student Involvement in International Research - The IRES Program at MAX-lab, Sweden

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Briscoe, William; O'Rielly, Grant; Fissum, Kevin

2014-03-01

Undergraduate students associated with The George Washington University and UMass Dartmouth have had the opportunity to participate in nuclear physics research as a part of the PIONS@MAXLAB Collaboration performing experiments at MAX-lab at Lund University in Sweden. This project has supported thirteen undergraduate students during 2009 - 2011. The student researchers are involved with all aspects of the experiments performed at the laboratory, from set-up to analysis and presentation at national conferences. These experiments investigate the dynamics responsible for the internal structure of the nucleon through the study of pion photoproduction off the nucleon and high-energy Compton scattering. Along with the US and Swedish project leaders, members of the collaboration (from four different countries) have contributed to the training and mentoring of these students. This program provides students with international research experiences that prepare them to operate successfully in a global environment and encourages them to stay in areas of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) that are crucial for our modern, technology-dependent society. We will present the history, goals and outcomes in both physics results and student success that have come from this program. This work supported by NSF OISE/IRES award 0553467.

Investigating the International Awareness of Students Meeting Their International Dimension Requirement through Course Offerings in a College of Agriculture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moriba, Samba; Edwards, M. Craig; Robinson, J. Shane; Cartmell, D. Dwayne, II; Henneberry, David M.

2012-01-01

Many U.S. universities are preparing their students to attain international awareness through various approaches. The College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (CASNR) at Oklahoma State University offers three international dimension undergraduate courses intended to provide students a formal educational opportunity to learn about…

Authentic scientific research in an international setting as a path toward higher education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mladenov, N.; Palomo, M.; Casad, B.; Pietruschka, B.; Buckley, C.

2016-12-01

Studies have shown that undergraduate research opportunities foster student interest in research, encourage minority students to seek advanced degrees, and put students on a path toward higher education. It has been further suggested that engineering projects in international settings address issues of sustainability and promote a connection between engineering and social welfare that may compel students to seek future research opportunities. In this study, we explored the role that authentic research experiences in an international setting play in promoting higher education for students from groups typically under-represented in engineering and sciences. We hypothesized that the international context of the research experiences will provide undergraduate and graduate students with a global perspective of water reuse challenges and promote increased interest in pursuing a higher degree in engineering. Through the Sustainable Sanitation International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) Program, US students conducting research in Durban, South Africa in 2015 and 2016, were tasked with leading 6-week long research projects, collaborating with partners at the University of KwaZulu Natal, and producing papers and presentations for regional and international scientific conferences. All undergraduate participants were from groups under-represented in the sciences. Pre- and post-program survey results revealed that, after completing the program, participants of Cohort 1 had 1) greater research skills, 2) greater identification as an engineer, and 3) stronger intentions to pursue a PhD in engineering. Survey data were also used to evaluate comfort with cultural diversity before and after the international program and the effect of pairing US with South African student researchers. Our results indicate that students' awareness of societal needs and engineering challenges faced in Durban resulted in a positive impact on each student. The benefits gained from the international research experience have important implications for environmental engineering and other scientific fields in terms of inducing greater self-efficacy and fostering an interest in higher education for students from groups traditionally under-represented in the sciences.

Social Intelligence and Communication Competence: Predictors of Students' Intercultural Sensitivity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bosuwon, Takwa

2017-01-01

This study investigated the level of intercultural sensitivity of foreign international undergraduates and its possible predictors. Sample participants included 269 foreign international undergraduates of both government and private universities in Thailand. The research instrument was the three-page survey constructed questionnaire based on the…

Music therapy career aptitude and generalized self-efficacy in music therapy students.

PubMed

Lim, Hayoung A; Befi, Cathy M

2014-01-01

While the Music Therapy Career Aptitude Test (MTCAT) provides a measure of student aptitude, measures of perceived self-efficacy may provide additional information about a students' suitability for a music therapy career. As a first step in determining whether future studies examining combined scores from the MTCAT and the Generalized Self-Efficacy (GSE) scale would be useful to help predict academic success in music therapy, we explored the internal reliability of these two measures in a sample of undergraduate students, and the relationship (concurrent validity) of the measures to one another. Eighty undergraduate music therapy students (14 male; 66 female) completed the MTCAT and GSE. To determine internal reliability we conducted tests of normality and calculated Cronbach's Coefficient Alpha for each measure. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to ascertain the strength of the relationship between the MTCAT and GSE. MTCAT scores were normally distributed and had high internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.706). GSE scores were not normally distributed, but had high internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.748). The correlation coefficient analysis revealed that MTCAT and GSE scores were moderately correlated ((r = 0.426, p < 0.0001). MTCAT scores can be used to partially determine perceived self-efficacy in undergraduate music therapy students; however, a more complete picture of student suitability for music therapy may be determined by administering the GSE alongside the MTCAT. Future studies are needed to determine whether combined MTCAT and GSE scores can be used to predict student success in an undergraduate music therapy program. © the American Music Therapy Association 2014. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Study Abroad: The Experience of American Undergraduates in Western Europe and the United States. Occasional Papers on International Educational Exchange Research Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carlson, Jerry S.; And Others

A study was done to examine the effect of study abroad experiences on undergraduate students both in their undergraduate years and afterwards. The study was a joint effort of U.S. and European educators and institutions, involved over 400 participants, and included a comparison group of students not undertaking a year abroad. The participating…

Providing Undergraduate Research Opportunities Through the World Rivers Observatory Collaborative Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gillies, S. L.; Marsh, S. J.; Janmaat, A.; Peucker-Ehrenbrink, B.; Voss, B.; Holmes, R. M.

2013-12-01

Successful research collaboration exists between the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV), a primarily undergraduate-serving university located on the Fraser River in British Columbia, and the World Rivers Observatory that is coordinated through the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and the Woods Hole Research Center (WHRC). The World Rivers Observatory coordinates time-series sampling of 15 large rivers, with particular focus on the large Arctic rivers, the Ganges-Brahmaputra, Congo, Fraser, Yangtze (Changjiang), Amazon, and Mackenzie River systems. The success of this international observatory critically depends on the participation of local collaborators, such as UFV, that are necessary in order to collect temporally resolved data from these rivers. Several faculty members and undergraduate students from the Biology and Geography Departments of UFV received on-site training from the lead-PIs of the Global Rivers Observatory. To share information and ensure good quality control of sampling methods, WHOI and WHRC hosted two international workshops at Woods Hole for collaborators. For the past four years, faculty and students from UFV have been collecting a variety of bi-monthly water samples from the Fraser River for the World Rivers Observatory. UFV undergraduate students who become involved learn proper sampling techniques and are given the opportunity to design and conduct their own research. Students have collected, analyzed and presented data from this project at regional, national, and international scientific meetings. UFV undergraduate students have also been hosted by WHOI and WHRC as guest students to work on independent research projects. While at WHOI and WHRC, students are able to conduct research using state-of-the-art specialized research facilities not available at UFV.

Reciprocal Elucidation: A Student-Led Pedagogy in Multidisciplinary Undergraduate Research Conferences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walkington, Helen; Hill, Jennifer; Kneale, Pauline E.

2017-01-01

There is no previous study of the benefits of attending a national multidisciplinary conference dedicated to undergraduate researchers, despite the growing number of such conferences internationally. This paper addresses the gap in knowledge of the learning gains from these conferences, and reveals a student driven learning process, a…

Experiential Engineering through iGEM--An Undergraduate Summer Competition in Synthetic Biology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, Rudolph; Dori, Yehudit Judy; Kuldell, Natalie H.

2011-01-01

Unlike students in other engineering disciplines, undergraduates in biological engineering typically have limited opportunity to develop design competencies, and even fewer chances to implement their designed projects. The international Genetically Engineered Machines (iGEM) competition is a student Synthetic Biology competition that, in 2009,…

Learning by Helping? Undergraduate Communication Outcomes Associated with Training or Service-Learning Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Katz, Jennifer; DuBois, Melinda; Wigderson, Sara

2014-01-01

This study investigated communication outcomes after training or applied service-learning experiences. Pre-practicum trainees learned active listening skills over 10 weeks. Practicum students were successful trainees who staffed a helpline. Community interns were trained and supervised at community agencies. Undergraduate students in psychology…

Designing, Implementing and Evaluating a Consultancy Approach to Teaching Environmental Management to Undergraduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beavis, Sara; Beckmann, Elizabeth A.

2012-01-01

What are the benefits of engaging undergraduate students with authentic, inquiry-based curricula that develop transdisciplinary research skills? Internationally, many educators believe that research-active curricula help students better understand how scientific and technological concepts underlie the complexities of our world, especially in the…

Assessing a Broad Teaching Approach: The Impact of Combining Active Learning Methods on Student Performance in Undergraduate Peace and Conflict Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sjöstedt, Roxanna

2015-01-01

Teaching introductory International Relations (IR) and peace and conflict studies can be challenging, as undergraduate teaching frequently involves large student groups that limit student activity to listening and taking notes. According to pedagogic research, this is not the optimal structure for learning. Rather, although a teacher can pass on…

Assessment of Student and Faculty Mentor Perceptions of an International Undergraduate Research Program in Physical Geography

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Houser, Chris; Cahill, Anthony; Lemmons, Kelly

2014-01-01

In this study, we assess whether students and their faculty mentors in a Research Experience for Undergraduates program have similar perceptions about the relative importance of different outcomes of their study abroad experience. Results of a Q-analysis reveal a significant difference of opinion between the students and the faculty mentors. It is…

Psychiatric specialization as an option for medical students in the Indian context.

PubMed

Praharaj, Samir Kumar; Behere, Rishikesh V; Deora, Sumit; Sharma, P S V N

2013-08-01

There is a shortage of psychiatrists in India and psychiatry as a subject of specialization is not a preferred option among medical undergraduates. There is inadequate exposure to psychiatry during the medical undergraduate training in India which might contribute towards it. There are attempts to overcome the negative attitudes towards psychiatry and mental illness among medical undergraduates by changes in the curriculum. In this paper we attempt to review studies on attitudes of undergraduate students towards psychiatry and compare the results with findings from our own survey done as a part of International Study of Student Career Choice in Psychiatry (ISoSCCiP) project.

Introducing ethics to chemistry students in a "Research Experiences for Undergraduates" (REU) program.

PubMed

Hanson, Mark J

2015-01-01

A three-day ethics seminar introduced ethics to undergraduate environmental chemistry students in the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program. The seminar helped students become sensitive to and understand the ethical and values dimensions of their work as researchers. It utilized a variety of resources to supplement lectures and class discussion on a variety of issues. Students learned about the relevance of ethics to research, skills in moral reasoning, and the array of ethical issues facing various aspects of scientific research. © 2015 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Challenges of International Higher Education Students in a Foreign Country: A Qualitative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khodabandelou, Rouhollah; Karimi, Leila; Ehsani, Maryam

2015-01-01

Over the last several years, the number of international students attending colleges and universities in Malaysia has increased substantially. While the number of international students pursuing undergraduate and post graduate studies in Malaysian higher education institutions has increased, it is curious that some limitations and challenges exist…

A Study of Retention Trends of International Students at a Southwestern Public University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wong Davis, Kristina Marie

2012-01-01

Literature on factors contributing to the retention of international students remained limited. The purpose of this study was to examine the factors related to retention of international undergraduate degree seeking students through conducting pairwise correlational analysis to test the relationship between retention and age, gender, country of…

International Undergraduates' Retention, Graduation, and Time to Degree

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fass-Holmes, Barry

2016-01-01

The present study tested the hypothesis that the international undergraduates at a West Coast American public university during recent years of dramatic enrollment growth should have low retention and graduation rates. This study showed instead that these students were retained and graduated at rates surpassing predictions from research and…

Are International Students Cash Cows? Examining the Relationship between New International Undergraduate Enrollments and Institutional Revenue at Public Colleges and Universities in the US

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cantwell, Brendan

2015-01-01

There has been growing interest in the business of international education. It is often assumed that universities seek international students as a means of generating revenue. The broad purpose of this study was to understand the effects of increased international student enrollment on net tuition revenue. Informed by resource dependency and…

Exploring the Differences of Undergraduate Students' Perceptual Learning Styles in International Business Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ding, Ning; Lin, Wei

2013-01-01

More than 45,000 international students are now studying for bachelor programs in The Netherlands. The number of Asian students increased dramatically in the past decade. The current research aims at examining the differences between Western European and Asian students' perceptual learning styles, and exploring the relationships between students'…

Creating the Global Student: Increasing Student Perception of Global Competency and Skills for International Careers in a University International Certificate Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Yuanyuan

2013-01-01

This study investigates the impact of students' participation in the certificate program offered by the Asian Studies Center (ASC) at the University of Pittsburgh on their perception of global competency and skills development for international careers. Undergraduate and graduate students who were enrolled in the ASC's certificate program as of…

Being and Belonging: A Critical Phenomenological Study of Undergraduate Chinese International Students' Sense of Belonging in Residence Halls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yao, Christina Wai-Tze

2014-01-01

Despite the large number of international students from China in U.S. higher education, little research exists on these students' perceptions of the racial climate in residence halls. This research study illuminates the experiences affecting the sense of belonging of first-year Chinese international students and provides insights on how these…

Intelligibility Is Equity: Can International Students Read Undergraduate Admissions Materials?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Zachary W.

2018-01-01

Fewer international students have applied to and enrolled in US institutions, as 40 per cent of US institutions reported a drop in international applications since 2016. Subsequently, US institutions must ensure that their international admissions materials are as equitable and transparent as possible. Expanding previous work, this study examines…

From 6 to 163: The Chinese International Student Experience in a Time of Increased Enrollment at a University of California Campus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramos, Adrian

2013-01-01

At UCSB the number of degree seeking undergraduate Chinese international students increased from 6 to 163 between 2010 and 2012. With such a controversial and much discussed topic of international student enrollment at U.S universities, this was the perfect time for me to interview Chinese international students. With the help of Kathy Charmaz'…

Undergraduate basic surgical skills education: impact on attitudes to a career in surgery and surgical skills acquisition.

PubMed

McAnena, P F; O'Halloran, N; Moloney, B M; Courtney, D; Waldron, R M; Flaherty, G; Kerin, M J

2018-05-01

Basic surgical skills modules in medical education are effective in teaching skills and increasing confidence among students approaching surgery. However, these modules are not delivered universally and their effect on the professional development of graduates has not been established. We aimed to assess the impact of a 10-week basic surgical skills module on attitudes and technical skills of first year medical students compared to interns. Eighteen students participated and were assessed using a 4-part questionnaire. Technical skills were assessed by observing students perform a basic interrupted suture, using the objective structured assessment of technical skills (OSATS) tool. Fourteen interns were recruited. Students were more confident in surgical scrubbing (mean score 4.0 vs. 2.86, p = 0.001), and performing a basic suture (4.05 vs. 1.93, p = 0.000), more enthusiastic about assisting with an operation (4.5 vs. 3.0, p = 0.001) and more likely to consider a career in surgery (4.16 vs. 2.28, p = 0.000). Technical skills were greater in the student group (mean score 30.8 vs. 19.6, p = 0.001). Five interns had taken part in surgical skills modules as undergraduates. Their technical skills were significantly higher compared to interns who had not (n = 9) (28.8 vs. 14.5, p = 0.006), and they were more likely to consider a career in surgery (3.6 vs. 1.5, p = 0.036). The introduction of surgical skills teaching to the undergraduate medical curriculum has a positive impact on students' attitudes towards surgery and accelerates basic technical skills development. Consideration should be given to development of a standardised undergraduate core curriculum in basic surgical skills teaching.

NASA's Planetary Geology and Geophysics Undergraduate Research Program (PGGURP): The Value of Undergraduate Geoscience Internships

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gregg, T. K.

2008-12-01

NASA's Planetary Geology and Geophysics Program began funding PGGURP in 1978, in an effort to help planetary scientists deal with what was then seen as a flood of Viking Orbiter data. Each subsequent year, PGGURP has paired 8 - 15 undergraduates with NASA-funded Principal Investigators (PIs) around the country for approximately 8 weeks during the summer. Unlike other internship programs, the students are not housed together, but are paired, one-on-one, with a PI at his or her home institution. PGGURP interns have worked at sites ranging from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory to the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. Through NASA's Planetary Geology and Geophysics Program, the interns' travel and lodging costs are covered, as are a cost-of-living stipend. Approximately 30% of the undergraduate PGGURP participants continue on to graduate school in the planetary sciences. We consider this to be an enormous success, because the participants are among the best and brightest undergraduates in the country with a wide range of declared majors (e.g., physics, chemistry, biology, as well as geology). Furthermore, those students that do continue tend to excel, and point to the internship as a turning point in their scientific careers. The NASA PIs who serve as mentors agree that this is a valuable experience for them, too, and many of them have been hosting interns annually for well over a decade. The PI obtains enthusiastic and intelligent undergraduate, free of charge, for a summer, while having the opportunity to work closely with today's students who are the future of planetary science. The Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) in Houston, TX, also sponsors a summer undergraduate internship. Approximately 12 students are selected to live together in apartments located near the Lunar and Planetary Institute and the Johnson Space Center. Similar to PGGURP, the LPI interns are carefully selected to work one-on-one for ~10 weeks during the summer with one of the LPI staff scientists. Many LPI Summer Intern graduates have forged geoscience or planetary science careers after this rewarding experience.

"It's Kinda Weird": Hybrid Identities in the International Undergraduate Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adewale, Titilola; D'Amico, Mark M.; Salas, Spencer

2018-01-01

With benefits international students bring to campus, universities have adopted aggressive recruitment practices and increased institutional support for their retention and positive college engagement (Hegarty, 2014). Due to globalization, increasing numbers of international students enter college with multiple cultural/national affiliations…

Is Undergraduate Debt an Impediment to Postgraduate Enrolment in England?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wakeling, Paul; Hampden-Thompson, Gillian; Hancock, Sally

2017-01-01

Changes to undergraduate student funding arrangements in England have prompted concerns that increased indebtedness will deter graduates from postgraduate study. While it is clear that student debt has increased substantially in recent years, international evidence is equivocal on whether such debt is a deterrent to further study and there is…

Designing a Likert-Type Scale to Predict Environmentally Responsible Behavior in Undergraduate Students: A Multistep Process.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith-Sebasto, N. J.; D'Costa, Ayres

1995-01-01

Describes an attempt to develop a reliable and valid instrument to assess the relationship between locus of control of reinforcement and environmentally responsible behavior. Presents a six-step psychometric process used to develop the Environmental Action Internal Control Index (EAICI) for undergraduate students. Contains 54 references. (JRH)

Being Chinese or Being Different: Chinese Undergraduates' Use of Discourses of Chineseness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skyrme, Gillian

2014-01-01

Myths about "the Chinese learner" developed from an outsider perspective abound in the Western world. The focus of this article, however, is how discourses of Chineseness were used by the Chinese international students themselves who, as undergraduate students in a New Zealand university, were the subjects of my doctoral research. It…

Self-Efficacy, Perceived Social Support, and Psychological Adjustment in International Undergraduate Students in a Public Higher Education Institution in Malaysia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yusoff, Yusliza Mohd.

2012-01-01

The globalization of the economy and society has had its impact on Malaysian higher education institutions, particularly universities. The Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education aims at intensifying globalization through increasing the number of international students. However, many international students struggle with adjusting to a new culture.…

Learning Challenges and Preferred Pedagogies of International Students: A Perspective from the USA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rao, Pramila

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to understand the challenges international students face during their higher education in the USA. This research study was conducted at a private university in the Eastern region of the USA from October 2012 through May 2013 (Fall and Spring semesters) with undergraduate and graduate international students.…

Poster Day Showcases Student Work | Poster

Cancer.gov

By Nathalie Walker, Guest Writer, and Carolynne Keenan, Contributing Writer On July 31, NCI at Frederick hosted Student Poster Day, an annual event in which student interns can showcase the work they do in their various positions in NCI at Frederick labs and offices. Participating students are interns in the Student Internship Program, a program designed for undergraduate and

Are International Undergraduates Struggling Academically?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fass-Holmes, Barry; Vaughn, Allison A.

2014-01-01

Are international undergraduates struggling academically, and are their struggles due to weaknesses in English as a second language? The present study showed that 1) at most 10% of these students in three cohorts (ranging in size from N = 322 to N = 695) at an American west coast public university struggled (quarterly grade point averages below C)…

Comparing Student Perceptions of the Classroom Climate Created by U.S. American and International Teaching Assistants

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meyer, Kevin R.; Mao, Yuping

2014-01-01

Previous studies have revealed that American undergraduate students complain about International Teaching Assistants' (ITAs) lack of English proficiency and rate ITAs lower than American Teaching Assistants (ATAs) on teaching evaluations. This study investigates student perceptions of classroom climate to discover how ITAs might overcome students'…

International Engineering Students--Avoiding Plagiarism through Understanding the Western Academic Context of Scholarship

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duff, Andrea H.; Rogers, Derek P.; Harris, Michael B.

2006-01-01

Despite the best attempts of academic staff to teach students the mechanics of citation, the rules of referencing continue to be broken, particularly by those new to Western university systems (either first-year undergraduate students or international students from different cultural backgrounds). In late 2003, 16 postgraduate international…

A biosafety level 2 virology lab for biotechnology undergraduates

PubMed Central

Matza‐Porges, Sigal

2017-01-01

Abstract Medical, industrial, and basic research relies heavily on the use of viruses and vectors. Therefore, it is important that bioscience undergraduates learn the practicalities of handling viruses. Teaching practical virology in a student laboratory setup presents safety challenges, however. The aim of this article is to describe the design and implementation of a virology laboratory, with emphasis on student safety, for biotechnology undergraduates. Cell culture techniques, animal virus infection, quantification, and identification are taught at a biosafety level 2 for a diverse group of undergraduates ranging from 20 to 50 students per group. © 2017 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 45(6):537–543, 2017. PMID:28758332

Tsinghua-Johns Hopkins Joint Center for Biomedical Engineering Research: scientific and cultural exchange in undergraduate engineering.

PubMed

Wisneski, Andrew D; Huang, Lixia; Hong, Bo; Wang, Xiaoqin

2011-01-01

A model for an international undergraduate biomedical engineering research exchange program is outlined. In 2008, the Johns Hopkins University in collaboration with Tsinghua University in Beijing, China established the Tsinghua-Johns Hopkins Joint Center for Biomedical Engineering Research. Undergraduate biomedical engineering students from both universities are offered the opportunity to participate in research at the overseas institution. Programs such as these will not only provide research experiences for undergraduates but valuable cultural exchange and enrichment as well. Currently, strict course scheduling and rigorous curricula in most biomedical engineering programs may present obstacles for students to partake in study abroad opportunities. Universities are encouraged to harbor abroad opportunities for undergraduate engineering students, for which this particular program can serve as a model.

Attitude to the subject of chemistry in undergraduate nursing students at Fiji National University and Federation University, Australia.

PubMed

Brown, Stephen; Wakeling, Lara; Peck, Blake; Naiker, Mani; Hill, Dolores; Naidu, Keshni

2015-01-01

Attitude to the subject of chemistry was quantified in first-year undergraduate nursing students, at two geographically distinct universities. A purpose-designed diagnostic instrument (ASCI) was given to students at Federation University, Australia (n= 114), and at Fiji National University, Fiji (n=160). Affective and cognitive sub-scales within ASCI showed reasonable internal consistency. Cronbach's alpha for the cognitive sub-scale was 0.786 and 0.630, and 0.787 and 0.788 for affective sub-scale for the Federation University and Fiji National University students, respectively. Mean (SD) score for the cognitive sub-scale was 10.5 (5.6) and 15.2 (4.1) for students at Federation University and Fiji National University, respectively (P<0.001, t-test). Mean (SD) score for the affective sub-scale was 13.1 (5.1) and 20.7 (4.3) for students at Federation University and Fiji National University, respectively (P < 0.001, t-test). An exploratory factor analysis (n=274) confirmed a two-factor solution consistent with affective and cognitive sub-scales, each with good internal consistency. Quantifying attitude to chemistry in undergraduate nursing students using ASCI may have utility in assessing the impact of novel teaching strategies used in the education of nursing students in areas of bioscience and chemistry. However, geographically distinct populations of undergraduate nurses may show very different attitudes to chemistry.

Southeast Asian International Students Adjusting to Jordanian Universities: Views from the Field

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alazzi, Khaled; Al-Jarrah, Abdelnaser

2016-01-01

Using a qualitative research methodology, we interviewed 20 Southeast Asian undergraduate students from Malaysia and Indonesia attending universities in northern Jordan to identify any adjustment problems they may have been facing. These international students experienced pressure to succeed from their sponsoring agencies and families, a very…

The Health and Wellbeing of International Students at an Australian University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosenthal, Doreen Anne; Russell, Jean; Thomson, Garry

2008-01-01

A representative sample of undergraduate and postgraduate international students at a large Australian university (n=979, 64% females) completed a mail-back survey of their health and wellbeing. Most students evaluated their current and previous physical and mental health positively. Health-related risk practices such as unprotected sexual…

Examining the Impact of Strength and Conditioning Internships on Exercise and Sport Science Undergraduate Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Desai, Farzanah; Seaholme, Tim

2018-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate undergraduate exercise and sport science students' learning experiences in a strength and conditioning internship. There was a special emphasis on the interns' personal development, the influence of supervision (academic supervisor functioning as a dual professional) and feedback on their development as a…

Effects of Language and Race on Undergraduates' Perceptions of International Instructors: Further Studies of Language and Attitude in Higher Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rubin, Donald; And Others

Predicating that undergraduate students' judgments of teaching ability are based on perceptions of the instructor's linguistic nonstandardness rather than on actual (or manipulated) language patterns, a study examined differences among students' perceptions of non-native English-speaking instructors (NNSI). Photographs of either a Chinese, a…

Crossing Pedagogical Oceans: International Teaching Assistants in U.S. Undergraduate Education. ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report No. 8, 1992.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Rosslyn M.; And Others

Despite complaints from undergraduate students concerning language and pedagogical skills of international teaching assistants (ITAs), institutions of higher education continue to appoint ITAs to teach. Legislative mandates have appeared to assess and improve language and pedagogical skills of ITAs, and the academies have likewise responded with…

The Role of International Service-Learning in Facilitating Undergraduate Students' Self-Exploration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Min; Luk, Lillian Yun Yung; Webster, Beverley Joyce; Chau, Albert Wai-lap; Ma, Carol Hok Ka

2016-01-01

This article examines the role of international service-learning (ISL) in facilitating undergraduates' exploration of their conceptions of self (i.e., self-exploration). Conception of self refers to the use of values to define one's role in a social/cultural group or organization and in society, and to determine current actions and future…

Engaging Chinese International Undergraduate Students in the American University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ross, Heidi; Chen, Yajing

2015-01-01

Vincent Tinto's theory of academic and social integration provides a framework for investigating perceived problems associated with Chinese international students' engagement at a public research-intensive university in the U.S. Midwest ("Midwest" University). These "problems"--classroom silence, segregation and…

Medical education in Sweden.

PubMed

Lindgren, Stefan; Brännström, Thomas; Hanse, Eric; Ledin, Torbjörn; Nilsson, Gunnar; Sandler, Stellan; Tidefelt, Ulf; Donnér, Jakob

2011-01-01

Undergraduate medical education in Sweden has moved from nationally regulated, subject-based courses to programmes integrated either around organ systems or physiological and patho-physiological processes, or organised around basic medical science in conjunction with clinical specialities, with individual profiles at the seven medical schools. The national regulations are restricted to overall academic and professional outcomes. The 5½ year long university undergraduate curriculum is followed by a mandatory 18 months internship, delivered by the County Councils. While quality control and accreditation for the university curriculum is provided by the Swedish National Agency for Higher Education, no such formal control exists for the internship; undergraduate medical education is therefore in conflict with EU directives from 2005. The Government is expected to move towards 6 years long university undergraduate programmes, leading to licence, which will facilitate international mobility of both Swedish and foreign medical students and doctors. Ongoing academic development of undergraduate education is strengthened by the Bologna process. It includes outcome (competence)-based curricula, university Masters level complying with international standards, progression of competence throughout the curriculum, student directed learning, active participation and roles in practical clinical education and a national assessment model to assure professional competence. In the near future, the dimensioning of Swedish undergraduate education is likely to be decided more by international demands and aspects of quality than by national demands for doctors.

2012 Summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates at Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castelaz, Michael W.; Cline, J. D.; Whitworth, C.; Clavier, D.; Owen, L.

2013-01-01

Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI) offers research experiences for undergraduates (REU). PARI receives support for the internships from the NC Space Grant Consortium, NSF awards, private donations, and industry partner funding. The PARI REU program began in 2001 with 4 students and has averaged 6 students per year over the past 11 years. This year PARI hosted 8 funded REU students. Mentors for the interns include PARI’s Science, Education, and Information Technology staff and visiting faculty who are members of the PARI Research Faculty Affiliate program. Students work with mentors on radio and optical astronomy research, electrical engineering for robotic control of instruments, software development for instrument control and software for citizen science projects, and science education by developing curricula and multimedia and teaching high school students in summer programs at PARI. At the end of the summer interns write a paper about their research which is published in the annually published PARI Summer Student Proceedings. Several of the students have presented their results at AAS Meetings. We will present a summary of specific research conducted by the students with their mentors and the logistics for hosting the PARI undergraduate internship program.

Undergraduate Nursing Students' Understandings of Mental Health: A Review of the Literature.

PubMed

Barry, Sinead; Ward, Louise

2017-02-01

The purpose of this literature review was to identify research and current literature surrounding nursing students' understandings of mental health. The aim is to share findings from an extensive international and national literature review exploring undergraduate nurse education specific to mental health content. Data were collected utilising a comprehensive search of electronic databases including CINAHL (EBSCO), MEDLINE, and PsycINFO 1987-(Ovid) from 2008 to 2016. The initial search terms were altered to include undergraduate, mental health, nursing, education, experience, and knowledge. Three content themes emerged which included: 1. Undergraduate nursing students' knowledge has been considered compromised due to concerns relating to the variation and inconsistencies within the comprehensive nursing curriculums representation of mental health, 2. Undergraduate nursing students knowledge of mental health is thought to be compromised due to the quality of mental health theoretical and experiential learning opportunities, and 3. Research indicates that nursing students' knowledge of mental health was influenced by their experience of undertaking mental health content. Based on these findings greater consideration of students' understandings of mental health is required.

Different Is Not Deficient: Contradicting Stereotypes of Chinese International Students in US Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heng, Tang T.

2018-01-01

Mainland Chinese students form the largest international tertiary student population in the USA, yet most discourse around them tends to adopt a deficit perspective. Adopting a hybridized sociocultural framework, this qualitative study follows 18 Chinese undergraduates over one year to examine how challenges they face are influenced by…

Allied Healthcare Undergraduate Education: International Students at the Clinical Interface

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morgan, Gareth

2017-01-01

The global movement of students in higher education is a relatively recent phenomenon, which has gained momentum in the last 30 years. Much research has been focused on the experiences of this population. Relatively little is known about international allied healthcare students who undertake clinical placements as part of their undergraduate…

Preparing Chinese International Business Students for the Transition to Undergraduate Study in Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lamberton, Geoff; Ashton-Hay, Sally

2015-01-01

The diverse range of academic, social and cultural challenges experienced by Asian students when studying at Western universities is well documented. This research involved a pre-departure curriculum designed to ease the intercultural transition and adjustment for Chinese international students to a new learning environment in Australia. Moving…

Cultural, Linguistic, Curricular and Financial Stories of Andrews University International Undergraduate Students and Their Experiences of Coping during the Academic Year 2014-2015: A Narrative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saint-Phard, Renaude Etienne

2017-01-01

The internationalization trends indicate that global growth of international students moving from one country to another is predicted to exceed 7.2 billion in 2025 (IIE, 2011). This crossing of borders inevitably evokes that international students confront multifaceted challenges in their host country. Although many facets of research have…

Molly Pleskus (undergraduate student from Tufts University) visi

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-02-08

3199: Molly Pleskus (undergraduate student from Tufts University) visited the MSFC electrostatic levitation (ESL) laboratory is support of Dr. Douglas Matson’s (Tufts University) grant, “Round Robin - Thermophysical Property Measurement” (NNX17AH41G). Ms. Pleskus is researching Inconel 718 in support of future experiments on the International Space Station (ISS).

Developing the next generation of nurse scientists.

PubMed

Burkhart, Patricia V; Hall, Lynne A

2015-01-01

This article describes an undergraduate nursing research internship program in which students are engaged in research with a faculty mentor. Since 2002, more than 130 undergraduate nursing students have participated. Interns coauthored publications, presented papers and posters at conferences, and received awards. This highly successful program provides a model that can be easily replicated to foster the development of future nurse scientists.

Poster Day Showcases Student Work | Poster

Cancer.gov

By Nathalie Walker, Guest Writer, and Carolynne Keenan, Contributing Writer On July 31, NCI at Frederick hosted Student Poster Day, an annual event in which student interns can showcase the work they do in their various positions in NCI at Frederick labs and offices. Participating students are interns in the Student Internship Program, a program designed for undergraduate and graduate students during their summer breaks, as well as interns in the Werner H. Kirsten Student Internship Program (WHK SIP), a program for high school seniors. All the students have an opportunity to present their scientific posters.

Coping Strategies of International Chinese Undergraduates in Response to Academic Challenges in U.S. Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heng, Tang

2018-01-01

Background/Context: One in three international students in the U.S. comes from China, propelled by a steep increase in undergraduate enrollment in U.S. colleges. This phenomenon has been accompanied by negative media discourse that portrays them as needy, passive, and unable to cope with their new educational demands. Purpose/Objective: Using a…

An International Capital Budgeting Experiential Exercise

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manuel, Tim; Tangedahl, Lee

2009-01-01

This article describes an experiential exercise that uses a brief simulation model intended to introduce undergraduate international finance students to the complexities in corporate investments in foreign countries. Use of the model requires one or preferably two class periods. Student learning goals include: (a) understanding how different…

Embedding responsible conduct in learning and research into an Australian undergraduate curriculum.

PubMed

Fernandes, Lynette B

2017-01-02

Responsible conduct in learning and research (RCLR) was progressively introduced into the pharmacology curriculum for undergraduate science students at The University of Western Australia. In the second year of this undergraduate curriculum, a lecture introduces students to issues such as the use of animals in teaching and responsible conduct of research. Third year student groups deliver presentations on topics including scientific integrity and the use of human subjects in research. Academic and research staff attending these presentations provide feedback and participate in discussions. Students enrolled in an optional capstone Honours year complete an online course on the responsible conduct of research and participate in an interactive movie. Once RCLR became established in the curriculum, a survey of Likert-scaled and open-ended questions examined student and staff perceptions. Data were expressed as Approval (% of responses represented by Strongly Agree and Agree). RCLR was found to be relevant to the study of pharmacology (69-100% Approval), important for one's future career (62-100% Approval), and stimulated further interest in this area (32-75% Approval). Free entry comments demonstrated the value of RCLR and constructive suggestions for improvement have now been incorporated. RCLR modules were found to be a valuable addition to the pharmacology undergraduate curriculum. This approach may be used to incorporate ethics into any science undergraduate curriculum, with the use of discipline-specific topics. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 45(1):53-59, 2017. © 2016 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

It's Not Easy Being Green: Bringing Real Life to the Undergraduate Legal Environment of Business Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marcum, Tanya M.; Perry, Sandra J.

2010-01-01

In the Legal Environment of Business course in a traditional undergraduate business curriculum, students are expected to acquire knowledge about many areas of the law and the application of law to business, society, and the international marketplace. Current concepts in undergraduate business education, such as ethics and sustainability, must also…

Undergraduate nurse students' perspectives of spiritual care education in an Australian context.

PubMed

Cooper, Katherine Louise; Chang, Esther

2016-09-01

The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council competency standards highlight the need to provide holistic care that is inclusive of spiritual care. Literature shows that internationally many nurses feel unsure of how to provide spiritual care which has been attributed to a lack of spiritual care education during undergraduate nursing programs. This study explores the impact of a spiritual care subject in an undergraduate nursing program in an Australian tertiary institution. Qualitative research design using in-depth semi-structured interviews. A tertiary institution with a Christian orientation in Sydney, Australia. Six undergraduate nursing students who had completed the spiritual care subject. Two themes emerged from the data: Seeing the person as a whole and Being with the person. The spiritual care subject had a positive impact on the perceptions of undergraduate nursing students. In particular students perceived themselves more prepared to provide holistic care that was inclusive of spiritual care. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exploring a pedagogical approach to integrating research, practice and teaching.

PubMed

Newton, Jennifer M; McKenna, Lisa G; Gilmour, Carole; Fawcett, Jacqueline

2010-01-01

Application of evidence is accepted as an important component of clinical practice. Teaching research to undergraduate students has been reported internationally as a challenge, particularly for nurse educators. In this paper, reported is a strategy designed to enhance research learning for undergraduate midwifery students at one university, which formed part of a larger, international investigation into women's responses to caesarean birth. Following theory classes and briefings, students worked with their clinical educators in practice to interview women using existing tools, and were engaged in qualitative data analysis. A number of challenges were encountered throughout the process, both for the educators and students. However, the teaching approach provided benefits for students in learning about midwifery research. Recommended as essential is for continued development of pedagogical approaches that make research tangible for students. Furthermore, provision of support for clinical staff working with students is important for success of such approaches.

A research experience for American Indian undergraduates: Utilizing an actor–partner interdependence model to examine the student–mentor dyad

PubMed Central

Griese, Emily R.; McMahon, Tracey R.; Kenyon, DenYelle Baete

2016-01-01

The majority of research examining Undergraduate Research Experiences focuses singularly on student-reported outcomes, often overlooking assessment of the mentor role in student learning and outcomes following these experiences. The goal of the current study was to examine the student-mentor dyad at the beginning and end of a 10-week summer research experience for American Indian undergraduates utilizing a series of actor-partner interdependence models within SEM. Participants included 26 undergraduate interns (50% American Indian; 50% American Indian and White; M age = 24) and 27 mentors (89% White; M age = 47). Findings indicated that in accounting for all potential paths between students and mentors, the partner path between mentor beliefs at the beginning of the program and students’ skills related to autonomy (β =.59, p = .01) and academic resilience (β =.44, p = .03) at the end of the program were significant. These findings suggest the important impact of mentor beliefs on student outcomes, a relationship that should be adequately assessed and continue to be important focus of undergraduate research experiences. Findings further indicate the important role of mentors for American Indian undergraduates. PMID:28289486

An investigation of communication patterns and strategies between international teaching assistants and undergraduate students in university-level science labs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gourlay, Barbara Elas

This research project investigates communication between international teaching assistants and their undergraduate students in university-level chemistry labs. During the fall semester, introductory-level chemistry lab sections of three experienced non-native speaking teaching assistants and their undergraduate students were observed. Digital audio and video recordings documented fifteen hours of lab communication, focusing on the activities and interactions in the first hour of the chemistry laboratory sessions. In follow-up one-on-one semi-structured interviews, the participants (undergraduates, teaching assistants, and faculty member) reviewed interactions and responded to a 10-item, 7-point Likert-scaled interview. Interactions were classified into success categories based on participants' opinions. Quantitative and qualitative data from the observations and interviews guided the analysis of the laboratory interactions, which examined patterns of conversational listening. Analysis of laboratory communication reveals that undergraduates initiated nearly two-thirds of laboratory communication, with three-fourths of interactions less than 30 seconds in duration. Issues of gender and topics of interaction activity were also explored. Interview data identified that successful undergraduate-teaching assistant communication in interactive science labs depends on teaching assistant listening comprehension skills to interpret and respond successfully to undergraduate questions. Successful communication in the chemistry lab depended on the coordination of visual and verbal sources of information. Teaching assistant responses that included explanations and elaborations were also seen as positive features in the communicative exchanges. Interaction analysis focusing on the listening comprehension demands placed on international teaching assistants revealed that undergraduate-initiated questions often employ deixis (exophoric reference), requiring teaching assistants to demonstrate skills at disambiguating undergraduate discourse. Interaction analysis reinforced that successful undergraduate-teaching assistant communication depends on the coordination of verbal and visual channels of communication, with the physical objects of the chemistry lab environment playing a pivotal role in expressing information and in mutual understanding. These results have implications for the evaluation of English proficiency and the preparation of non-native speaking teaching assistants by pointing out that teaching assistant listening comprehension skills and the use of contextual artifacts contribute to successful communication and are areas that, to date, have been underrepresented in the research literature on international teaching assistant communication.

Evaluating Student Satisfaction of Quality at International Branch Campuses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahmad, Syed Zamberi

2015-01-01

The aim of this research is to present the determinants of students' perceptions of quality and experience of study at international branch campuses in Malaysia, a country that is set to become an academic hub in Asia. This study used a multi-method approach for data collection. The respondents comprised 245 students (both undergraduate and…

Enhancing Learning Performance through Classroom Response Systems: The Effect of Knowledge in a Global Economic Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheng, Louis T. W.; Wang, Jacqueline Wenjie

2018-01-01

The international business education literature suggests that a global mindset can be acquired and benefit students to embrace new ideas and improve their critical thinking. Using a sample of 1,448 undergraduate students in Corporate Finance, International Finance, and Business Law subjects during 2013-2015, our results indicate that students with…

The High Impact of Education Abroad: College Students' Engagement in International Experiences and the Development of Intercultural Competencies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stebleton, Michael J.; Soria, Krista M.; Cherney, Blythe T.

2013-01-01

Study abroad opportunities continue to be a popular choice for U.S. college students looking to expand their undergraduate education. In response to the increasing demand for international opportunities, campuses have diversified their study abroad program models. On many campuses, students not only have opportunities to study abroad during…

Participating in a Study-Abroad Program: Concerns and Hopes of Intending International Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lovett, Trevor

2018-01-01

This small-scale narrative investigation identifies not only the concerns but also the hopes of undergraduate psychology students from a southwest Chinese university who are about to embark on a program of study abroad. While past research has tended to focus on the anticipated negative experiences international students are likely to encounter,…

Senior Medical Students' Attitudes toward Psychiatry as a Career Choice before and after an Undergraduate Psychiatry Internship in Iran

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amini, Homayoun; Moghaddam, Yasaman; Nejatisafa, Ali-Akbar; Esmaeili, Sara; Kaviani, Hosein; Shoar, Saeed; Shabani, Amir; Samimi-Ardestani, Mehdi; Akhlaghi, Amir Abbas Keshavarz; Noroozi, Alireza; Mafi, Mostafa

2013-01-01

Objectives: The study aimed to assess 1) the attitudes of medical students in the sixth and seventh years (known as interns in Iran) toward psychiatry as a career choice, and 2) the degree of attractiveness of psychiatry as a career choice, with regard to various defined aspects, before and after an undergraduate psychiatry internship (similar to…

The Impact of Mentorship on Leadership Development Outcomes of International Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shalka, Tricia R.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this quantitative study of 6,076 undergraduates in the United States (3,038 international and 3,038 domestic) was to examine leadership development outcomes for international students in the United States and the potential role of mentorship in this process. Data for this study were derived from the 2009 Multi-Institutional Study of…

University of Maryland MRSEC - Research: Highlights

Science.gov Websites

; National Labs International Educational Education Pre-College Programs Homeschool Programs Undergraduate Perspective at UMD MRSEC Nanoscience Camp Annual Middle School Student Science Conference (SSC) Pre ) Activities UMD-MRSEC Research Experience for Undergraduates Program (REU) Pre-Engineering Program

Storming Washington: An Intern's Guide to National Government. Second Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frantzich, Stephen E.

This booklet provides information to help prepare undergraduate students for academic internships with the federal government. Most interns serve without pay; however, the opportunity to observe and participate in government provides important guidance for future decisions, and even potential employment opportunities. The student should do…

Ivy League Experience: Increasing Care, Increasing Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mata, Silvester G., Jr.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this personal narrative is to document initiatives that were designed and implemented to increase engagement and inclusivity for international students. The university campus of focus is a historically elite institution that enrolls one out of five international undergraduate students when compared to domestic peers. Initiatives…

Social Connectedness among International Students at an Australian University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosenthal, Doreen Anne; Russell, Jean; Thomson, Garry

2007-01-01

A representative sample of undergraduate and postgraduate international students at a large Australian university (n = 979, 64% females) completed a mail-back survey examining their perceptions of social connectedness. Four aspects of social connectedness were investigated: (1) connectedness in Melbourne, (2) social mixing and interaction with…

Examining Developmental Readiness in an International Service-Learning Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Kari B.; Jones, Susan R.; Massey, Rachel; Mickey, Jasmine; Reynolds, Danyelle J.; Jackson, Torrie

2017-01-01

The authors examined students' developmental readiness for productively negotiating the disorienting dilemmas and dissonance they experienced during an international service-learning experience. Using a case study methodology, researchers collected data from a diverse group composed of 7 graduate students and 5 undergraduates who participated in a…

Procedural Influence on Internal and External Assessment Scores of Undergraduate Vocational and Technical Education Research Projects in Nigerian Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

A. C., John; Manabete, S. S.

2015-01-01

This study sought to determine the procedural influence on internal and external assessment scores of undergraduate research projects in vocational and technical education programmes in the university under study. A survey research design was used for the conduct of this study. The population consisted of 130 lecturers and 1,847 students in the…

Circular dichroism spectroscopy: Enhancing a traditional undergraduate biochemistry laboratory experience.

PubMed

Lewis, Russell L; Seal, Erin L; Lorts, Aimee R; Stewart, Amanda L

2017-11-01

The undergraduate biochemistry laboratory curriculum is designed to provide students with experience in protein isolation and purification protocols as well as various data analysis techniques, which enhance the biochemistry lecture course and give students a broad range of tools upon which to build in graduate level laboratories or once they begin their careers. One of the most common biochemistry protein purification experiments is the isolation and characterization of cytochrome c. Students across the country purify cytochrome c, lysozyme, or some other well-known protein to learn these common purification techniques. What this series of experiments lacks is the use of sophisticated instrumentation that is rarely available to undergraduate students. To give students a broader background in biochemical spectroscopy techniques, a new circular dichroism (CD) laboratory experiment was introduced into the biochemistry laboratory curriculum. This CD experiment provides students with a means of conceptualizing the secondary structure of their purified protein, and assessments indicate that students' understanding of the technique increased significantly. Students conducted this experiment with ease and in a short time frame, so this laboratory is conducive to merging with other data analysis techniques within a single laboratory period. © 2017 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 45(6):515-520, 2017. © 2017 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Need assessment of enhancing the weightage of applied biochemistry in the undergraduate curriculum at MGIMS, sevagram.

PubMed

Kumar, Satish; Jena, Lingaraja; Vagha, Jayant

2016-05-06

In order to review the need assessment of enhancing the weightage of Applied Biochemistry in the undergraduate curriculum at Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (MGIMS), Sevagram, a validated questionnaire was sent to 453 participants which include 387 undergraduate students, 11 interns, 23 postgraduate students, and 32 faculty members. A web-based data collection and analysis tool was designed for online questionnaire distribution, data collection, and analysis. Response rate was 100%. Most of the respondents agreed that the subject Biochemistry has relevance in clinical practice (81.24%) and applied based learning of Biochemistry by medical undergraduates would help in overall improvement in the health standards/patients care (83.44%). According to 65.12% respondents, most of the medical undergraduates read Biochemistry just for examination purpose only. Nearly half of the respondents agreed that minute details of biochemical reactions were not much useful in clinical practice (53.86%) and the vast majority of diagrammatic cycles memorized by the medical undergraduates had no relevance in clinical practice (51.21%), the decreased interest in learning the Applied Biochemistry was due to more amount of clinically irrelevant information taught to medical undergraduates (73.51%), there was a need to rethink for removing the diagrammatic biochemical cycles from curriculum for medical undergraduates (48.12%), the less learning of Applied Biochemistry or competencies would affect the clinical skills and knowledge of medical undergraduates (70.42%). The result of this study suggests that there is need for restructuring the Biochemistry curriculum with more clinical relevance. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 44:230-240, 2016. © 2016 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

International Careers: U.S. Undergraduates' Motivations and Concerns

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Punteney, Katherine

2016-01-01

Despite the consensus among industry leaders, policymakers, educational institutions, and students themselves that it is essential that U.S. college graduates be prepared for international careers, little attention is given to understanding the dynamics that encourage or dissuade students from such a pursuit. A survey administered to U.S.…

Utilizing the Intercultural Effectiveness Scale (IES) to Enhance International Student Travel

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bates, Alicia; Rehal, Dalia Atef

2017-01-01

This paper highlights how one institution used the International Effectiveness Scale (IES) to support intercultural exploration and development for short-term undergraduate travel programs. Authors discuss utilization of the IES to explore students' intercultural development, how it can be applied to create an individualized action plan, and how…

Telework 96: An International Collaborative Learning Package for Information Entrepreneurs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davenport, Elisabeth; Wormell, Irene

1997-01-01

Describes the implementation of an international joint course developed by Queen Margaret College in Scotland and the Royal School of Librarianship in Denmark introducing undergraduate students to tools and issues relevant to teleworking, or working at home. Discusses course objectives, class assignments, student assessment, and program…

Dilated Canine Hearts: A Specimen for Teaching Cardiac Anatomy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cope, Lee Anne

2008-01-01

Dilated canine hearts were used to teach undergraduate students internal and external cardiac anatomy. The specimens were dilated using hydrostatic pressure and then fixed using 5% formalin. These specimens provided the students with an alternative to prepackaged embalmed hearts and anatomical models for studying the external and internal cardiac…

International Mobility of Canadian Social Sciences and Humanities Doctoral Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knight, Jane; Madden, Meggan

2010-01-01

International academic mobility is an aspect of internationalization that is changing rapidly in terms of volume, scope, and impact. Although much of the attention and research on mobility has focused on undergraduate students participating in short-term study abroad, internships, and exchange experiences, the new push to develop international…

Gaining a "Sense of Place": Students' Affective Experiences of Place Leading to Transformative Learning on International Fieldwork

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simm, David; Marvell, Alan

2015-01-01

This paper reveals the extent to which undergraduate students demonstrate transformative learning whilst on international fieldwork in Barcelona, Spain. Groups of students create a series of discrete active learning situations that allow them and their peers to engage more fully with their locale and in turn experience a deeper understanding of…

Exploring the Experiences of International Students in UK Higher Education: Possibilities and Limits of Interculturality in University Life

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schweisfurth, Michele; Gu, Qing

2009-01-01

This article is based on a two-year multi-method research project, funded by the UK Economic and Social Research Council, investigating the experiences of international undergraduate students in UK higher education. In investigating the influences on their experiences and the strategies that students employ, the study has also revealed something…

The Influence of Study and Travel Abroad on the Personal and Professional Development of Students in Architecture Design Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Culver, Lyle D.

2011-01-01

International travel has significant implications on the study of architecture. This study analyzed ways in which undergraduate and graduate students benefited from the experience of international travel and study abroad. Taken from the perspective of 15 individuals who were currently or had been architecture students at the University of Miami…

Caribbean International Undergraduates' "Resisting, Reframing and Reaffirming" of Their Ethnic Identity at a Four Year Institution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malcolm, Zaria T.

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the ethnic identity experiences of Caribbean international students in the context of the over-generalized and homogenous aspects of their institutional discourse on international students. It also sought to consider their identification with their native backgrounds and the United States in view of their…

Knowledge and attitudes of dental interns in Karnataka state, India, regarding implants.

PubMed

Chaudhary, Sohini; Gowda, Triveni M; Kumar, Tarun A B; Mehta, Dhoom S

2013-10-01

Implant treatment today is highly reliable as a valid restorative option for missing teeth. As more patients worldwide opt for implant treatment, it is now imperative for dental practitioners to have sound information about dental implants so they can help patients make informed decisions. This study sought to define the knowledge and attitudes regarding dental implants of dental interns in the state of Karnataka, India, and to evaluate the dental implant curriculum structure at the undergraduate level. A survey was conducted of dental interns (students in their fifth, clinical year of undergraduate study) in seven of the forty-five academic dental institutions in this state. The questionnaire consisted of fifteen questions that assessed the respondents' level of knowledge and source of information regarding implants. A total of 500 questionnaires were distributed, and 417 interns responded for a response rate of 83.4 percent. In the results, 73.3 percent reported they were not provided sufficient information about implants in their undergraduate curriculum, and 95.7 percent of them wanted more. Also, 63.5 percent of the respondents believed that high costs could limit the use of dental implants as a tooth replacement modality in India. This study concludes that revision in the undergraduate dental curricula at these schools is needed to better prepare students for practicing implant dentistry.

Clinical audit teaching in record-keeping for dental undergraduates at International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

PubMed

Chong, Jun A; Chew, Jamie K Y; Ravindranath, Sneha; Pau, Allan

2014-02-01

This study investigated the impact of clinical audit training on record-keeping behavior of dental students and students' perceptions of the clinical audit training. The training was delivered to Year 4 and Year 5 undergraduates at the School of Dentistry, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It included a practical audit exercise on patient records. The results were presented by the undergraduates, and guidelines were framed from the recommendations proposed. Following this, an audit of Year 4 and Year 5 students' patient records before and after the audit training was carried out. A total of 100 records were audited against a predetermined set of criteria by two examiners. An email survey of the students was also conducted to explore their views of the audit training. Results showed statistically significant improvements in record-keeping following audit training. Responses to the email survey were analyzed qualitatively. Respondents reported that the audit training helped them to identify deficiencies in their record-keeping practice, increased their knowledge in record-keeping, and improved their record-keeping skills. Improvements in clinical audit teaching were also proposed.

Assessment Study of an Undergraduate Research Training Abroad Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nieto-Fernandez, Fernando; Race, Kathryn; Quarless, Duncan A.

2013-01-01

The Old Westbury Neuroscience International Research Program (OWNIP) encourages undergraduate students from health disparities populations and underrepresented minorities to pursue careers in basic science, biomedical, clinical, and behavioral health research fields. To evaluate this program, several measures were used tracked through an online…

Internationalization of the Undergraduate Curriculum: Insight from Recruiters.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Albers-Miller, Nancy D.; Sigerstad, Thomas D.; Straughan, Robert D.

2000-01-01

Surveyed recruiters on the value of international studies. Found that most would prefer students receiving an added international certificate but not those with a degree in international business or a non-discernible (fused) international education. A small number of companies with extensive international operations prefer the international…

The Summer Undergraduate Research Internship Program at the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cline, J. Donald; Castelaz, M.; Whitworth, C.; Clavier, D.; Owen, L.; Barker, T.

2012-01-01

Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI) offers summer undergraduate research internships. PARI has received support for the internships from the NC Space Grant Consortium, NSF awards for public science education, private donations, private foundations, and through a collaboration with the Pisgah Astronomical Research and Education Center of the University of North Carolina - Asheville. The internship program began in 2001 with 4 students. This year 7 funded students participated in 2011. Mentors for the interns include PARI's Science, Education, and Information Technology Directors and visiting faculty who are members of the PARI Research Affiliate Faculty program. Students work with mentors on radio and optical astronomy research, electrical engineering for robotic control of instruments, software development for instrument control and software for citizen science projects, and science education by developing curricula and multimedia and teaching high school students in summer programs at PARI. At the end of the summer interns write a paper about their research which is published in the PARI Summer Student Proceedings. Several of the students have presented their results at AAS Meetings. We will present a summary of specific research conducted by the students with their mentors, the logistics for hosting the PARI undergraduate internship program, and plans for growth based on the impact of an NSF supported renovation to the Research Building on the PARI campus.

The Summer Undergraduate Research Internship Program at the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castelaz, Michael W.; Cline, J.; Whitworth, C.; Clavier, D.

2011-01-01

Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI) offers summer undergraduate research internships. PARI has received support for the internships from the NC Space Grant Consortium, NSF awards for public science education, private donations, private foundations, and through a collaboration with the Pisgah Astronomical Research and Education Center of the University of North Carolina - Asheville. The internship program began in 2001 with 4 students. This year 9 funded students participated in 2010. Mentors for the interns include PARI's Directors of Science, Education, and Information Technology and visiting faculty who are members of the PARI Research Affiliate Faculty program. Students work with mentors on radio and optical astronomy research, electrical engineering for robotic control of instruments, software development for instrument control and applets for citizen science projects, and science education by developing curricula and multimedia and teaching high school students in summer programs at PARI. At the end of the summer interns write a paper about their research which is published in the PARI Summer Student Proceedings. Several of the students have presented their results at AAS Meetings. We will present a summary of specific research conducted by the students with their mentors, the logistics for hosting the PARI undergraduate internship program, and plans for growth based on the impact of an NSF supported renovation to the Research Building on the PARI campus.

Trends in basic mathematical competencies of beginning undergraduates in Ireland, 2003-2013

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Treacy, Páraic; Faulkner, Fiona

2015-11-01

Deficiencies in beginning undergraduate students' basic mathematical skills has been an issue of concern in higher education, particularly in the past 15 years. This issue has been tracked and analysed in a number of universities in Ireland and internationally through student scores recorded in mathematics diagnostic tests. Students beginning their science-based and technology-based undergraduate courses in the University of Limerick have had their basic mathematics skills tested without any prior warning through a 40 question diagnostic test during their initial service mathematics lecture since 1998. Data gathered through this diagnostic test have been recorded in a database kept at the university and explored to track trends in mathematical competency of these beginning undergraduates. This paper details findings surrounding an analysis of the database between 2003 and 2013, outlining changes in mathematical competencies of these beginning undergraduates in an attempt to determine reasons for such changes. The analysis found that the proportion of students tested through this diagnostic test that are predicted to be at risk of failing their service mathematics end-of-semester examinations has increased significantly between 2003 and 2013. Furthermore, when students' performance in secondary level mathematics was controlled, it was determined that the performance of beginning undergraduates in 2013 was statistically significantly below that of the performance of the beginning undergraduates recorded 10 years previously.

Using a telehealth service delivery approach to working with an undergraduate student with a traumatic brain injury: A case study.

PubMed

Quaco, Carrie

2017-09-14

Project Career is a five year NIDILRR-funded interprofessional demonstration project aimed to improve the academic and career success of undergraduate students who have a traumatic brain injury (TBI). The information for this case study was collected and synthesized by an occupational therapy graduate student intern for one of the Project Career sites in collaboration with the Technology and Employment Coordinator for the site, the co-PI for Project Career, and the student participant. A case study is presented to provide an understanding of one of the Project Career participant's experience using a telehealth service delivery approach to working with Project Career for academic and career support. The participant's case notes, direct communication with the intern, and outcome assessments were used to perform a qualitative analysis. The participant reported that he believed Project Career was an effective support service for him. However, the participant's initial and 6-month outcome assessment scores are inconclusive regarding improvements in his academic abilities and satisfaction with academic and career attainment. Further research on the effectiveness of using a telehealth service delivery approach to working with undergraduate students with a TBI is needed.

Library Experience and Information Literacy Learning of First Year International Students: An Australian Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hughes, Hilary; Hall, Nerilee; Pozzi, Megan

2017-01-01

This qualitative case study provides fresh understandings about first year undergraduate international students' library and information use at an Australian university, and their associated information literacy learning needs. The findings provide evidence to inform the development of library spaces and information literacy responses that enhance…

A Study of College Professors' Perceptions of International Students in STEM Classrooms at a Technical University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abendschein, Barbara Feeney

2017-01-01

This study investigated the perceptions of STEM professors at a Southeastern technical college about the international students in their undergraduate classrooms, including impact on the learning environment, academic abilities and proficiency in meeting course goals, contribution to class activities and recommendations for improved preparation.…

Enhancement of Global Communication Skill at the School of Engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morimura, Kumiko

Globalization is one of the most important challenges for universities. Especially for the School of Engineering, it is crucial to foster researchers or engineers with broader perspective. International communication competency is essential for them in order to deal with other professionals from overseas. Center for Innovation in Engineering Education established in the School of Engineering at the University of Tokyo in 2005 started two programs for graduate and undergraduate students to enhance their international communication competency and to increase international competitiveness. ‘English for Scientists and Engineers A, B’ are for the graduate students to learn how to write papers in English and how to make good presentations. Special English Lessons are for the undergraduate students to have a chance to practice English conversation or prepare for TOEFL test. In this paper, the authors discuss the details of the programs, their purpose and the future tasks.

Undergraduate Neuroscience Majors: A Missed Opportunity for Psychiatry Workforce Development.

PubMed

Goldenberg, Matthew N; Krystal, John H

2017-04-01

This study sought to determine whether and to what extent medical students with an undergraduate college major in neuroscience, relative to other college majors, pursue psychiatry relative to other brain-based specialties (neurology and neurosurgery) and internal medicine. The authors analyzed data from AAMC matriculation and graduation surveys for all students who graduated from US medical schools in 2013 and 2014 (n = 29,714). Students who majored in neuroscience, psychology, and biology were compared to all other students in terms of their specialty choice at both time points. For each major, the authors determined rates of specialty choice of psychiatry, neurology, neurosurgery, and, for comparison, internal medicine. This study employed Chi-square statistic to compare odds of various specialty choices among different majors. Among medical students with an undergraduate neuroscience major (3.5% of all medical students), only 2.3% preferred psychiatry at matriculation, compared to 21.5% who chose neurology, 13.1% neurosurgery, and 11% internal medicine. By graduation, psychiatry specialty choice increased to 5.1% among neuroscience majors while choice of neurology and neurosurgery declined. Psychology majors (OR = 3.16, 95% CI 2.60-4.47) but not neuroscience majors (OR 1.28, 0.92-1.77) were more likely than their peers to choose psychiatry. Psychiatry struggles to attract neuroscience majors to the specialty. This missed opportunity is an obstacle to developing the neuroscience literacy of the workforce and jeopardizes the neuroscientific future of our field. Several potential strategies to address the recruitment challenges exist.

Vietnamese Students Employability Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tuan, Nguyen Minh

2011-01-01

This paper attempts to investigate if the International University (IU) students' core competencies can meet the requirements set by employers, what are the differences in core competencies in final year students (or undergraduates), and how they view themselves compared with ex-students after one or two years in working environment, how…

Home | UMass Amherst

Science.gov Websites

Current Students International Faculty and Staff Continuing Education Alumni Popular Now Photos and Amherst Rising Researchers 2018 Stepping Up to the Challenge UMass Amherst undergraduate students tackle American play UMass students train service dogs UMass students train service dogs Diggity Dogs UMass

The Student Experience of PACE at Macquarie University: Understanding Motivations for Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLachlan, Kath; Rawlings-Sanaei, Felicity; Mason, Colina; Haski-Levanthal, Debbie; Nabeel, Hussein

2017-01-01

Professional and Community Engagement (PACE) at Macquarie University offers undergraduate students experiential learning opportunities with local, regional and international partners. Through PACE, students work on mutually beneficial projects that both meet the partner's organizational goals and enable students to strengthen graduate capabilities…

The Potential to use Publication of Undergraduate Research as a Teaching Tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brevik, Eric C.; Lindbo, David L.; Belcher, Christopher

2015-04-01

Several studies crossing numerous disciplinary boundaries have demonstrated that undergraduate students benefit from research experiences. These benefits include personal and intellectual development, more and closer contact with faculty, the use of active learning techniques, the creation of high expectations, the development of creative and problem-solving skills, and the development of greater independence and intrinsic motivation to learn. The discipline also gains in that studies show undergraduates who engage in research experiences are more likely to remain science majors and finish their degree program. Research experiences come as close as possible to allowing undergraduates to experience what it is like to be an academic or research member of their profession working to advance their discipline, therefore enhancing their professional socialization into their chosen field. If the goals achieved by undergraduate research include introducing these students to the advancement of their chosen field, it stands to reason the ultimate ending to this experience would be the publication of a peer-reviewed paper. While not all undergraduate projects will end with a product worthy of peer-reviewed publication, some definitely do, and the personal experience of the authors indicates that undergraduate students who achieve publication get great satisfaction and a sense of personal achievement from that publication. While a top-tier international journal probably isn't going to be the ultimate destination for many of these projects, there are several appropriate outlets. The SSSA journal Soil Horizons has published several undergraduate projects in recent years, and good undergraduate projects can often be published in state academy of science journals. Journals focused expressly on publishing undergraduate research include the Journal of Undergraduate Research and Scholarly Excellence, Reinvention, and the American Journal of Undergraduate Research. Case studies of students who have published undergraduate research will be discussed.

(De)Constructing the Undergraduate Research Experience in an Environmental Geochemistry Lab (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, C. S.

2013-12-01

Maintaining a productive research lab at the undergraduate level requires a savvy combination of internal organization, high (but realistic) expectations, and adaptation of one's research interests into semester- and summer-length projects. Several key strategies can help achieve the goal of building a lab culture that both enriches students' academic experiences and advances one's own scholarly research and visibility. Foremost among these is the need to maintain momentum and preserve institutional knowledge in an environment where undergraduate students' lifetime in an individual lab may only last a year or two. Examples from the Environmental Geochemistry Lab at Chapman University (www.chapman.edu/envgeo) developed over several years and with 40+ undergraduate students will be presented which can be transferable to other faculty research labs in the earth sciences. Approaches to writing successful external research grant proposals at a primarily undergraduate institution (PUI) and strategies for both personal and institutional time management/savings will also be discussed, with a focus on new models at Chapman offered to further incentivize faculty involvement in undergraduate research.

Use of Social Media in Facilitating Health Care Research Among Nursing and Allied Health Undergraduates in Sri Lanka.

PubMed

Silva, S N

2016-01-01

A mentoring program was designed to promote conduction, completion and dissemination of undergraduate research among Nursing and Allied Health students in Sri Lanka. Several social media platforms were used; mainly the Facebook, YouTube and Google Hangouts. Knowledge sharing, interaction and collaboration were promoted. Student motivation was also done. Research presentation skills and applying for conferences was also facilitated. Over 90% of the participated 262 students completed a research project and close to 50% presented them both locally and internationally.

Promoting Undergraduate Surgical Education: Current Evidence and Students' Views on ESMSC International Wet Lab Course.

PubMed

Sideris, Michail; Papalois, Apostolos; Theodoraki, Korina; Dimitropoulos, Ioannis; Johnson, Elizabeth O; Georgopoulou, Efstratia-Maria; Staikoglou, Nikolaos; Paparoidamis, Georgios; Pantelidis, Panteleimon; Tsagkaraki, Ismini; Karamaroudis, Stefanos; Potoupnis, Michael E; Tsiridis, Eleftherios; Dedeilias, Panagiotis; Papagrigoriadis, Savvas; Papalois, Vassilios; Zografos, Georgios; Triantafyllou, Aggeliki; Tsoulfas, Georgios

2017-04-01

Undergraduate Surgical Education is becoming an essential element in the training of the future generation of safe and efficient surgeons. Essential Skills in the Management of Surgical Cases (ESMSC), is an international, joint applied surgical science and simulation-based learning wet lab course. We performed a review of the existing literature on the topic of undergraduate surgical education. Following that, we analyzed the feedback questionnaire received 480 from 2 recent series of ESMSC courses (May 2015, n = 49 and November 2015, n = 40), in order to evaluate European Union students' (UK, Germany, Greece) views on the ESMSC course, as well as on the undergraduate surgical education. Results Using a 10 point graded scale, the overall ESMSC concept was positively evaluated, with a mean score of 9.41 ± 0.72 (range: 8-10) and 8.94 ± 1.1 (range: 7-10). The majority of delegates from both series [9.86 ± 0.43 (range: 8-10) and 9.58 ± 0.91 (range: 6-10), respectively] believed that ESMSC should be incorporated in the undergraduate surgical curriculum. Comparison of responses from the UK to the Greek Medical Student, as well as the findings from the third and fourth year versus the fifth and sixth year Medical Students, revealed no statistically significant differences pertaining to any of the questions (p > 0.05). Current evidence in the literature supports the enhancement of surgical education through the systematic use of various modalities that provide Simulation-Based Training (SBT) hands-on experience, starting from the early undergraduate level. The findings of the present study are in agreement with these previous reports.

A Prototype Two-tier Mentoring Program for Undergraduate Summer Interns from Minority-Serving Institutions at the University of Alaska Fairbanks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gens, R.; Prakash, A.; Ozbay, G.; Sriharan, S.; Balazs, M. S.; Chittambakkam, A.; Starkenburg, D. P.; Waigl, C.; Cook, S.; Ferguson, A.; Foster, K.; Jones, E.; Kluge, A.; Stilson, K.

2013-12-01

The University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) is partnering with Delaware State University, Virginia State University, Elizabeth City State University, Bethune-Cookman University, and Morgan State University on a U.S. Department of Agriculture - National Institute for Food and Agriculture funded grant for ';Enhancing Geographic Information System Education and Delivery through Collaboration: Curricula Design, Faculty, Staff, and Student Training and Development, and Extension Services'. As a part of this grant, in summer 2013, UAF hosted a week long workshop followed by an intense two week undergraduate internship program. Six undergraduate students from partnering Universities worked with UAF graduate students as their direct mentors. This cohort of undergraduate mentees and graduate student mentors were in-turn counseled by the two UAF principal investigators who served as ';super-mentors'. The role of each person in the two-tier mentoring system was well defined. The super-mentors ensured that there was consistency in the way the internship was setup and resources were allocated. They also ensured that there were no technical glitches in the research projects and that there was healthy communication and interaction among participants. Mentors worked with the mentees ahead of time in outlining a project that aligned with the mentees research interest, provided basic reading material to the interns to get oriented, prepared the datasets required to start the project, and guided the undergraduates throughout the internship. Undergraduates gained hands-on experience in geospatial data collection and application of tools in their projects related to mapping geomorphology, landcover, geothermal sites, fires, and meteorological conditions. Further, they shared their research results and experiences with a broad university-wide audience at the end of the internship period. All participants met at lunch-time for a daily science talk from external speakers. The program offered a rich and gratifying experience for all participants. Undergraduate students got a sneak-peek into a career in higher academia before stepping into graduate school. Graduate students gained mentoring experience, and also learned the importance of good time management and setting clear expectations.

Development and validation of a cancer awareness questionnaire for Malaysian undergraduate students of Chinese ethnicity.

PubMed

Loo, Jo Lin; Ang, Yee Kwang; Yim, Hip Seng

2013-01-01

To describe the development and validation of a cancer awareness questionnaire (CAQ) based on a literature review of previous studies, focusing on cancer awareness and prevention. A total of 388 Chinese undergraduate students in a private university in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, were recruited to evaluate the developed self-administered questionnaire. The CAQ consisted of four sections: awareness of cancer warning signs and screening tests; knowledge of cancer risk factors; barriers in seeking medical advice; and attitudes towards cancer and cancer prevention. The questionnaire was evaluated for construct validity using principal component analysis and internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha (α) coefficient. Test-retest reliability was assessed with a 10-14 days interval and measured using Pearson product-moment correlation. The initial 77-item CAQ was reduced to 63 items, with satisfactory construct validity, and a high total internal consistency (Cronbach's α=0.77). A total of 143 students completed the questionnaire for the test-retest reliability obtaining a correlation of 0.72 (p<0.001) overall. The CAQ could provide a reliable and valid measure that can be used to assess cancer awareness among local Chinese undergraduate students. However, further studies among students from different backgrounds (e.g. ethnicity) are required in order to facilitate the use of the cancer awareness questionnaire among all university students.

Women in Business: Influences on the Undergraduate Major Choices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geyfman, Victoria; Force, Christina M.; Davis, Laura M.

2015-01-01

This study employs a survey of undergraduate business school freshmen to examine factors that influence their decision to study business and whether these factors differ by gender. Specifically, the study examines internal factors, such as students' perceived aptitudes and interests in the subject; external factors, such as compensation and job…

Embedding Research-Based Learning Early in the Undergraduate Geography Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walkington, Helen; Griffin, Amy L.; Keys-Mathews, Lisa; Metoyer, Sandra K.; Miller, Wendy E.; Baker, Richard; France, Derek

2011-01-01

This article considers the rationale for embedding research and enquiry skills early in the undergraduate geography curriculum and for making these skills explicit to students. A survey of 52 international geography faculty identified critical thinking, framing research questions, reflectivity and creativity as the most challenging research skills…

Overview of an REU program: A case study in gender parity, ethnic diversity, and community college students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pearson, J. K.; Noriega, G.; Benthien, M. L.

2017-12-01

The Undergraduate Studies in Earthquake Information Technology (USEIT) is an REU Internship Program focused in multi-disciplinary, collaborative research offered through the Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC); a research consortium focused on earthquake science. USEIT is an 8-week intensive undergraduate research program. The program is designed for interns to work as a collaborative engine to solve an overarching real-world earthquake problem referred to as the "Grand Challenge". The interns are organized in teams and paired with mentors that have expertise in their specific task in the Grand Challenge. The program is focused around earthquake system science, where students have the opportunity to use super computers, programming platforms, geographic information systems, and internally designed and developed visualization software. The goal of the USEIT program is to motivate undergraduates from diverse backgrounds towards careers in science and engineering through team-based research in the field of earthquake information technology. Efforts are made to recruit students with diverse backgrounds, taking into consideration gender, ethnic background, socioeconomic standing, major, college year, and institution type (2-year and 4-year colleges). USEIT has a partnership with two local community colleges to recruit underserved students. Our emphasis is to attract students that would 1) grow and develop technical skills, soft skills, and confidence from the program, and 2) provide perspective and innovation to the program. USEIT offers on-campus housing to provide a submerged learning environment, recruits diverse majors to foster interdisciplinary collaboration, maintains a full time in lab mentor for day-to-day intern needs, takes students on field trips to provide context to their research, and plans activities and field trips for team building and morale. Each year metrics are collected through exit surveys, personal statements, and intern experience statements. We highlight lessons learned, including a need for pre-program engagement to ensure student success.

Valued experiences of graduate students in their role as educators in undergraduate training in Ugandan medical schools.

PubMed

Rukundo, Godfrey Zari; Kasozi, Jannat; Burani, Aluonzi; Byona, Wycliff; Kirimuhuzya, Claude; Kiguli, Sarah

2017-11-25

In most medical schools, graduate students, sometimes referred to as graduate teaching assistants, often participate in the training of undergraduate students. In developing countries like Uganda, are typically involved in undergraduate training. However, prior to this study there were no standard guidelines for this involvement. At the same time, the views and experiences of the graduate students in their role as educators had not been documented. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the views and experiences of graduate students about their involvement in undergraduate training in three Ugandan medical schools. The findings of this study will contribute to the development of policies for training in Ugandan medical schools. This was a qualitative study in which thirty in-depth-interviews were conducted among second and third year graduate students in three Ugandan medical schools in the MESAU consortium (Medical Education Services to all Ugandans) including Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Makerere College of Health Sciences and Kampala International University, Western Campus. All graduate students from all the three medical schools viewed their involvement in undergraduate training as important. The study also revealed that graduate students increase available human resources and often compensate for the teaching missed when senior educators were absent. The graduate students expressed important views that need to be considered in the design of educational programs where they are to be involved. The respondents also reported a number of challenges in this undertaking that included lack of motivation, lack of orientation and having heavy workloads. The presence and commitment of senior educators to guide and support the graduate students in teaching activities was viewed as one significant intervention that would increase the effectiveness of their educational contributions. Graduate students enjoy their involvement in the training of undergraduate students despite the various challenges they face. In some departments, the involvement of postgraduate trainees is critical to the viability of undergraduate medical training.

A survey on faculty perspectives on the transition to a biochemistry course-based undergraduate research experience laboratory.

PubMed

Craig, Paul A

2017-09-01

It will always remain a goal of an undergraduate biochemistry laboratory course to engage students hands-on in a wide range of biochemistry laboratory experiences. In 2006, our research group initiated a project for in silico prediction of enzyme function based only on the 3D coordinates of the more than 3800 proteins "of unknown function" in the Protein Data Bank, many of which resulted from the Protein Structure Initiative. Students have used the ProMOL plugin to the PyMOL molecular graphics environment along with BLAST, Pfam, and Dali to predict protein functions. As young scientists, these undergraduate research students wanted to see if their predictions were correct and so they developed an approach for in vitro testing of predicted enzyme function that included literature exploration, selection of a suitable assay and the search for commercially available substrates. Over the past two years, a team of faculty members from seven different campuses (California Polytechnic San Luis Obispo, Hope College, Oral Roberts University, Rochester Institute of Technology, St. Mary's University, Ursinus College, and Purdue University) have transferred this approach to the undergraduate biochemistry teaching laboratory as a Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience. A series of ten course modules and eight instructional videos have been created (www.promol.org/home/basil-modules-1) and the group is now expanding these resources, creating assessments and evaluating how this approach helps student to grow as scientists. The focus of this manuscript will be the logistical implications of this transition on campuses that have different cultures, expectations, schedules, and student populations. © 2017 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 45(5):426-436, 2017. © 2017 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Internationalization Efforts in United States Community Colleges: A Comparative Analysis of Urban, Suburban, and Rural Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harder, Natalie Jean

2010-01-01

Research demonstrates employers value international experiences when hiring employees. Community college students who do not have global or international experience risk being less valuable to employers than students who have such experience. With community colleges educating up to one-half of all U.S. undergraduates, more focus on…

Using Campinha-Bacote's Framework to Examine Cultural Competence from an Interdisciplinary International Service Learning Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wall-Bassett, Elizabeth DeVane; Hegde, Archana Vasudeva; Craft, Katelyn; Oberlin, Amber Louise

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate an interdisciplinary international service learning program and its impact on student sense of cultural awareness and competence using the Campinha-Bacote's (2002) framework of cultural competency model. Seven undergraduate and one graduate student from Human Development and Nutrition Science…

Writing Instructors' Perceptions of International Student Writers: What Teachers Want and Need to Know

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferris, Dana; Jensen, Linda; Wald, Margi

2015-01-01

University of California (UC) campuses have recently experienced a dramatic increase in the number of international degree-seeking undergraduate students. This article presents results of a UC-wide survey conducted to understand the perceptions of developmental and 1st year composition instructors about these demographic changes and to help design…

Reverse Transfer: Experiences of International Chinese Students in Intensive English Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Yi

2015-01-01

An increasing number of international Chinese undergraduate students enrolled in United States.colleges and universities in the past few years. Many began their journey in an intensive English program of a four-year university due to lack of English proficiency. Instead of continuing their study at the same institution, a considerable number of…

A Study of International Undergraduate Students Taking Online Courses: Group and Organizational Socialization Theory and Sense of Belonging

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Jacob Lyle

2013-01-01

Purpose: This study sought to (1) identify and describe the experiences of international students participating in U.S. cohort- and text-based asynchronous online courses and to 2) analyze perceptions of belonging/isolation within online environments through group and organizational socialization theory. Research Methods: Data from interviews with…

Undergraduate Arab International Students' Adjustment to U.S. Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abu Rabia, Hazza M.

2017-01-01

The adjustment process and issues of 16 Arab international students enrolled at two universities in the Northeast of the United States were examined through this qualitative, exploratory study. The participants were from Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and United Arab Emirates and had been in the US for 2 to 5 years. In-depth…

Better understanding of homologous recombination through a 12-week laboratory course for undergraduates majoring in biotechnology.

PubMed

Li, Ming; Shen, Xiaodong; Zhao, Yan; Hu, Xiaomei; Hu, Fuquan; Rao, Xiancai

2017-07-08

Homologous recombination, a central concept in biology, is defined as the exchange of DNA strands between two similar or identical nucleotide sequences. Unfortunately, undergraduate students majoring in biotechnology often experience difficulties in understanding the molecular basis of homologous recombination. In this study, we developed and implemented a 12-week laboratory course for biotechnology undergraduates in which gene targeting in Streptococcus suis was used to facilitate their understanding of the basic concept and process of homologous recombination. Students worked in teams of two to select a gene of interest to create a knockout mutant using methods that relied on homologous recombination. By integrating abstract knowledge and practice in the process of scientific research, students gained hands-on experience in molecular biology techniques while learning about the principle and process of homologous recombination. The learning outcomes and survey-based assessment demonstrated that students substantially enhanced their understanding of how homologous recombination could be used to study gene function. Overall, the course was very effective for helping biotechnology undergraduates learn the theory and application of homologous recombination, while also yielding positive effects in developing confidence and scientific skills for future work in research. © 2017 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 45(4):329-335, 2017. © 2017 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

The beer and biofuels laboratory: A report on implementing and supporting a large, interdisciplinary, yeast-focused course-based undergraduate research experience.

PubMed

Pedwell, Rhianna K; Fraser, James A; Wang, Jack T H; Clegg, Jack K; Chartres, Jy D; Rowland, Susan L

2018-01-31

Course-integrated Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) involve large numbers of students in real research. We describe a late-year microbiology CURE in which students use yeast to address a research question around beer brewing or synthesizing biofuel; the interdisciplinary student-designed project incorporates genetics, bioinformatics, biochemistry, analytical chemistry, and microbiology. Students perceived significant learning gains around multiple technical and "becoming a scientist" aspects of the project. The project is demanding for both the students and the academic implementers. We examine the rich landscape of support and interaction that this CURE both encourages and requires while also considering how we can support the exercise better and more sustainably. The findings from this study provide a picture of a CURE implementation that has begun to reach the limits of both the students' and the academics' capacities to complete it. © 2018 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2018. © 2018 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

International and Domestic Students, Perceived Burdensomeness, Belongingness, and Suicidal Ideation.

PubMed

Servaty-Seib, Heather L; Lockman, Jennifer; Shemwell, Dan; Reid Marks, Laura

2016-04-01

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for traditional-age college students, and the interpersonal theory of suicide (ITS; Joiner, 2005) provides a cogent framework for predicting which students may be at highest risk. However, little is known about how constructs of ITS operate in cross-cultural contexts. Findings, based on a sample of international and domestic undergraduate students (N = 254), indicated that the ITS construct of perceived burdensomeness was positively associated with suicidal ideation (SI) for both groups. However, campus belongingness emerged as connected with SI for international students, whereas family belongingness emerged as connected with SI for domestic students. © 2015 The American Association of Suicidology.

Maximizing Undergraduate Success By Combining Research Experiences with Outreach, Peer Mentoring and Professional Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruno, B. C.

2014-12-01

The C-MORE Scholars Program provides hands-on, closely mentored research experiences to University of Hawaii (UH) undergraduates during the academic year. Students majoring in the geosciences, especially underrepresented students, from all campuses are encouraged to apply. The academic-year research is complemented by outreach, professional development and summer internships. Combined, these experiences help students develop the skills, confidence and passion that are essential to success in a geoscience career. Research. All students enter the program as trainees, where they learn lab and field research methods, computer skills and science principles. After one year, they are encouraged to reapply as interns, where they work on their own research project. Students who have successfully completed their intern year can reapply as fellows, where they conduct an independent research project such as an honors thesis. Students present their research at a Symposium through posters (trainees) or talks (interns and fellows). Interns and fellows help organize program activities and serve as peer mentors to trainees.Multi-tiered programs that build a pathway toward graduation have been shown to increase student retention and graduation success. Outreach. Undergraduate researchers rarely feel like experts when working with graduate students and faculty. For students to develop their identity as scientists, it is essential that they be given the opportunity to assume the role as expert. Engaging students in outreach is a win-win situation. Students gain valuable skills and confidence in sharing their research with their local community, and the public gets to learn about exciting research happening at UH. Professional Development. Each month, the Scholars meet to develop their professional skills on a particular topic, such as outreach, scientific presentations, interviewing, networking, and preparing application materials for jobs, scholarships and summer REUs. Students are strongly encouraged to participate in summer REUs on the mainland US, both to gain independence and as a testing ground for graduate school. In December, qualitative and quantitative evaluation results will be shared to demonstrate the effectiveness of this model in increasing student retention and graduation success.

An International Experience Mandate for Undergraduates in a College of Health and Human Services: Initial Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daly, Donna M.; Baker, Suzanne; Williams, Stephen J.

2013-01-01

Educators and student affairs professionals are responding to the call for internationalizing education to keep pace with social, political, and economic globalization. This article provides a qualitative description of the transformation and globalization of an undergraduate college. Successful implementation of a college-wide international…

PRIME: An Integrated and Sustainable Undergraduate International Research Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arzberger, Peter; Wienhausen, Gabriele; Abramson, David; Galvin, Jim; Date, Susumu; Lin, Fang-Pang; Nan, Kai; Shimojo, Shinji

2010-01-01

Recently we have seen an increase in the calls for universities and the education community to re-think undergraduate education and create opportunities that prepare students as effective global professionals. The key motivator is the need to build a research and industrial workforce that works collaboratively across cultures and disciplines to…

Towards the Ethical or the Unethical Side?: An Explorative Research of Greek Business Students' Attitudes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karassavidou, Eleonora; Glaveli, Niki

2006-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to investigate the ethical orientations of undergraduate business students in Greece by exploring the relations among students' internalized code of ethics, anomia and students' judgment related to ethical problem situations within classroom as well as business context. Design/methodology/approach: A…

A unique large-scale undergraduate research experience in molecular systems biology for non-mathematics majors.

PubMed

Kappler, Ulrike; Rowland, Susan L; Pedwell, Rhianna K

2017-05-01

Systems biology is frequently taught with an emphasis on mathematical modeling approaches. This focus effectively excludes most biology, biochemistry, and molecular biology students, who are not mathematics majors. The mathematical focus can also present a misleading picture of systems biology, which is a multi-disciplinary pursuit requiring collaboration between biochemists, bioinformaticians, and mathematicians. This article describes an authentic large-scale undergraduate research experience (ALURE) in systems biology that incorporates proteomics, bacterial genomics, and bioinformatics in the one exercise. This project is designed to engage students who have a basic grounding in protein chemistry and metabolism and no mathematical modeling skills. The pedagogy around the research experience is designed to help students attack complex datasets and use their emergent metabolic knowledge to make meaning from large amounts of raw data. On completing the ALURE, participants reported a significant increase in their confidence around analyzing large datasets, while the majority of the cohort reported good or great gains in a variety of skills including "analysing data for patterns" and "conducting database or internet searches." An environmental scan shows that this ALURE is the only undergraduate-level system-biology research project offered on a large-scale in Australia; this speaks to the perceived difficulty of implementing such an opportunity for students. We argue however, that based on the student feedback, allowing undergraduate students to complete a systems-biology project is both feasible and desirable, even if the students are not maths and computing majors. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 45(3):235-248, 2017. © 2016 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Research Ethics with Undergraduates in Summer Research Training Programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheung, I.; Yalcin, K.

2016-02-01

Many undergraduate research training programs incorporate research ethics into their programs and some are required. Engaging students in conversations around challenging topics such as conflict of interest, cultural and gender biases, what is science and what is normative science can difficult in newly formed student cohorts. In addition, discussing topics with more distant impacts such as science and policy, intellectual property and authorship, can be difficult for students in their first research experience that have more immediate concerns about plagiarism, data manipulation, and the student/faculty relationship. Oregon State University's Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) in Ocean Sciences: From Estuaries to the Deep Sea as one model for incorporating a research ethics component into summer undergraduate research training programs. Weaved into the 10-week REU program, undergraduate interns participate in a series of conversations and a faculty mentor panel focused on research ethics. Topics discussed are in a framework for sharing myths, knowledge and personal experiences on issues in research with ethical implications. The series follows guidelines and case studies outlined from the text, On Being A Scientist: Responsible Conduct In Research Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy, National Academy of Sciences.

"I Was Told It Was Going to Be Hard Work but I Wasn't Told It Was Going to Be This Much Work": The Experiences and Aspirations of Undergraduate Science Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Emma; Cooke, Sandra

2011-01-01

The recruitment and training of scientists is an area of international concern. Much of the research and policy focus around this issue in the UK has been on how science is taught in schools and in particular on the structure of the school science curriculum. Much less attention has been devoted to the undergraduate student experience and the…

Laboratory-based educational and outreach activities in the framework of a CAREER award at the University of Oregon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bindeman, I. N.

2011-12-01

The Stable Isotope Laboratory at the University of Oregon has been used as a learning and outreach center in the framework of the 09 award entitled "Stable isotope insights into large-volume volcanic eruptions". The PI and other members of the group have actively recruitted undergraduate students, summer session and catalytic outreach undergraduates, and hosted international students, visitors, and collaborators from Russia, Iceland, France, the UK, Australia, and Switzerland. We also integrated closely with the Oregon-wide summer program that brings community college students to the University of Oregon for 2.5 months summer research residence (UCORE). In total we gave supervised five undergraduate students and three UCORE students. Additionally, we recruited undergraduates from U of Chicago, Colorado and Pomona Colleges to spend summers in the lab and in the field. In conjunction with the NSF funded PIRE program, two female graduate and one female undergraduate students participated in fieldwork in Kamchatka, and three Kamchatka undergraduates, and one Moscow graduate student visited the University Oregon. Students performed their own projects or Senior Theses and reported their results locally and at AGU conferences. We developed a management structure in which graduate students, a postdoc, and lab technician co-supervised students and visitors and this exposed them into the supervisory roles, contributed to the project progress, and liberated PI from micromanagement duties. The talk will present our experience with this management concept of a lab-based-learning initiative, which defines roles for each member of the lab. Our outreach activities included public lectures at community colleges by PI and a graduate student, and the topical Penrose conference co-organized by the PI, which attracted many students and visitors who collected their data in the lab. PI has introduced a voluntary fieldtrip as a part of his Volcanoes and Earthquake large enrollment class for non-majors. PI had less success in an attempt to involve non-geoscience majors into an optional satellite class due to the low interest among non-majors to explore geological and volcanological topics. Students in the Isotope Geochemistry and General Geochemistry classes used the Stable Isotope laboratory for their course papers, mostly related to the analyses of carbonate for isotopes of carbon and oxygen (paleoclimate projects), and using oxygen and hydrogen isotopes for sources of precipitation. Overall CAREER award provided excellent chance for multi-dimensional research that cross cut international boundaries, brings new projects in and contributes to the educational development of the PI and his group.

Teaching International Business as an Opportunity to Develop Cultural Sensitivity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frank, Ellen J.

2017-01-01

Business program graduates are expected to perform with cultural sensitivity in international and intercultural professional environments. In order to support student development of the necessary mindset, a variety of assignments and activities have been integrated into the undergraduate International Business (IB) course. This article describes…

The role of religiosity, coping strategies, self-efficacy and personality dimensions in the prediction of Iranian undergraduate rehabilitation interns' satisfaction with their clinical experience.

PubMed

Mirsaleh, Y R; Rezai, H; Kivi, S R; Ghorbani, R

2010-12-01

to investigate the relationship between religiosity, coping styles, self-efficacy and personality dimensions as predictors of satisfaction with clinical experience in rehabilitation interns during transition from academic study to clinical internship. a cross-sectional survey design. five rehabilitation faculties. three hundred and eighteen undergraduate rehabilitation interns, including physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech and language pathology students. Islamic Religiosity Scale, Ways of Coping Questionnaire, General Self-efficacy Scale, NEO Five Factor Inventory, and Satisfaction with Clinical Experiences Questionnaire. religiosity, problem-focused coping and general self-efficacy had significant positive correlation with satisfaction with clinical internship in rehabilitation students. Among personality dimensions, openness, agreement and consciousness had significant positive correlation with satisfaction with clinical experience and neuroticism had significant negative correlation with satisfaction with clinical experience. The results of regression analysis demonstrated that religiosity and self-efficacy had important roles in the prediction of satisfaction with clinical experience in all the rehabilitation intern students of three disciplines (physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech and language pathology). religiosity, problem-focused coping and general self-efficacy seem to be good predictors of satisfaction with clinical internship in rehabilitation students.

More than Meets the Eye--Infrared Cameras in Open-Ended University Thermodynamics Labs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Melander, Emil; Haglund, Jesper; Weiszflog, Matthias; Andersson, Staffan

2016-01-01

Educational research has found that students have challenges understanding thermal science. Undergraduate physics students have difficulties differentiating basic thermal concepts, such as heat, temperature, and internal energy. Engineering students have been found to have difficulties grasping surface emissivity as a thermal material property.…

Fostering Undergraduate Research through a Faculty-Led Study Abroad Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shostya, Anna; Morreale, Joseph C.

2017-01-01

This case study contributes to the higher education curriculum development literature by showing how a faculty-led short-term study abroad experience can become the catalyst for student research and offer students an international perspective. The authors analyze students' reflections and provide data collected over the years of taking…

The development and psychometric testing of a Disaster Response Self-Efficacy Scale among undergraduate nursing students.

PubMed

Li, Hong-Yan; Bi, Rui-Xue; Zhong, Qing-Ling

2017-12-01

Disaster nurse education has received increasing importance in China. Knowing the abilities of disaster response in undergraduate nursing students is beneficial to promote teaching and learning. However, there are few valid and reliable tools that measure the abilities of disaster response in undergraduate nursing students. To develop a self-report scale of self-efficacy in disaster response for Chinese undergraduate nursing students and test its psychometric properties. Nursing students (N=318) from two medical colleges were chosen by purposive sampling. The Disaster Response Self-Efficacy Scale (DRSES) was developed and psychometrically tested. Reliability and content validity were studied. Construct validity was tested by exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Reliability was tested by internal consistency and test-retest reliability. The DRSES consisted of 3 factors and 19 items with a 5-point rating. The content validity was 0.91, Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.912, and the intraclass correlation coefficient for test-retest reliability was 0.953. The construct validity was good (χ 2 /df=2.440, RMSEA=0.068, NFI=0.907, CFI=0.942, IFI=0.430, p<0.001). The newly developed DRSES has proven good reliability and validity. It could therefore be used as an assessment tool to evaluate self-efficacy in disaster response for Chinese undergraduate nursing students. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Engineering education research: Impacts of an international network of female engineers on the persistence of Liberian undergraduate women studying engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rimer, Sara; Reddivari, Sahithya; Cotel, Aline

2015-11-01

As international efforts to educate and empower women continue to rise, engineering educators are in a unique position to be a part of these efforts by encouraging and supporting women across the world at the university level through STEM education and outreach. For the past two years, the University of Michigan has been a part of a grassroots effort to encourage and support the persistence of engineering female students at University of Liberia. This effort has led to the implementation of a leadership camp this past August for Liberian engineering undergraduate women, meant to: (i) to empower engineering students with the skills, support, and inspiration necessary to become successful and well-rounded engineering professionals in a global engineering market; and (ii) to strengthen the community of Liberian female engineers by building cross-cultural partnerships among students resulting in a international network of women engineers. This session will present qualitative research findings on the impact of this grassroots effort on Liberian female students? persistence in engineering, and the future directions of this work.

An undergraduate laboratory class using CRISPR/Cas9 technology to mutate drosophila genes.

PubMed

Adame, Vanesa; Chapapas, Holly; Cisneros, Marilyn; Deaton, Carol; Deichmann, Sophia; Gadek, Chauncey; Lovato, TyAnna L; Chechenova, Maria B; Guerin, Paul; Cripps, Richard M

2016-05-06

CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology is used in the manipulation of genome sequences and gene expression. Because of the ease and rapidity with which genes can be mutated using CRISPR/Cas9, we sought to determine if a single-semester undergraduate class could be successfully taught, wherein students isolate mutants for specific genes using CRISPR/Cas9. Six students were each assigned a single Drosophila gene, for which no mutants currently exist. Each student designed and created plasmids to encode single guide RNAs that target their selected gene; injected the plasmids into Cas9-expressing embryos, in order to delete the selected gene; carried out a three-generation cross to test for germline transmission of a mutated allele and generate a stable stock of the mutant; and characterized the mutant alleles by PCR and sequencing. Three genes out of six were successfully mutated. Pre- and post- survey evaluations of the students in the class revealed that student attitudes towards their research competencies increased, although the changes were not statistically significant. We conclude that it is feasible to develop a laboratory genome editing class, to provide effective laboratory training to undergraduate students, and to generate mutant lines for use by the broader scientific community. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 44:263-275, 2016. © 2016 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

The 2013 Summer Undergraduate Research Internship Program at the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castelaz, Michael W.; Cline, J. D.; Whitworth, C.; Clavier, D.; Barker, T.

2014-01-01

Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI) offers summer undergraduate research internships. PARI has received support for the internships from the EMC Corporation, private donations, private foundations, and through a collaboration with the Pisgah Astronomical Research and Education Center of the University of North Carolina - Asheville. The internship program began in 2001 with 4 students. This year 10 funded students participated. Mentors for the interns include PARI’s Directors of Science, Education, and Information Technology and visiting faculty who are members of the PARI Research Faculty Affiliate program. Students work with mentors on radio and optical astronomy research, electrical engineering for robotic control of instruments, software development for instrument control and and science education by developing curricula and multimedia and teaching high school students in summer programs at PARI. At the end of the summer interns write a paper about their research which is published in the PARI Summer Student Proceedings. Students are encouraged to present their research at AAS Meetings. We will present a summary of specific research conducted by the students with their mentors.

Using Web-Based Foreign Advertisements in International Marketing Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ryan, Jason

2011-01-01

The author examines the use of the Web-based foreign advertisements for enhancing the international awareness of undergraduate marketing students. An analysis compares the adaptation of advertisements for identical products to the cultural perceptions and values of consumers in different countries. In a sample of 110 international marketing…

International Cross-Cultural Online Learning and Teaching: Effective Tools and Approaches

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Titarenko, Larissa; Little, Craig B.

2017-01-01

"Study abroad" college programs can transform domestic students into a kind of "global citizens" with international experience and cross-cultural competences demanded in the emerging global market. Can a full-time international online undergraduate class serve as a virtual alternative to study abroad experience? Two questions…

Undergraduate Research as a Primary Pathway to STEM Careers: Perspectives from the Council on Undergraduate Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manley, P. L.; Ambos, E. L.

2012-12-01

Undergraduate research (UR) is one of the most authentic and effective ways to promote student learning, and is a high-impact educational practice that can lead to measurable gains in student retention and graduation rates, as well as career aspirations. In recent years, UR has expanded from intensive summer one-on-one faculty-student mentored experiences to application in a variety of educational settings, including large lower division courses. The Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR), founded in 1978, is a national organization of individual (8000) and institutional members (650) within a divisional structure that includes geosciences, as well as 10 other thematic areas. CUR's main mission is to support and promote high-quality undergraduate student-faculty collaborative research and scholarship that develops learning through research. CUR fulfills this mission through extensive publication offerings, faculty and student-directed professional development events, and outreach and advocacy activities that share successful models and strategies for establishing, institutionalizing, and sustaining undergraduate research programs. Over the last decade, CUR has worked with hundreds of academic institutions, including two-year colleges, to develop practices to build undergraduate research into campus cultures and operations. As documented in CUR publications such as Characteristics of Excellence in Undergraduate Research (COEUR), strategies institutions may adopt to enhance and sustain UR often include: (1) the establishment of a central UR campus office, (2) extensive student and faculty participation in campus-based, as well as regional UR celebration events, (3) development of a consistent practice of assessment of UR's impact on student success, and, (4) establishment of clear policies for recognizing and rewarding faculty engagement in UR, particularly with respect to mentorship and publication with student scholars. Three areas of current focus within the international UR community are particularly important to considerations of broadening and strengthening the pipeline of students entering careers in geosciences and other STEM disciplines: (1) embedding UR more effectively and systematically throughout the undergraduate curriculum, (2) connecting UR experiences with student developmental arcs in content knowledge and skill integration, and, (3) growing the scholarship of study of impact of UR on student success and professional achievements. Case studies of institutions, particularly those that represent collaborations between two and four year colleges and universities, that are successfully addressing these focus areas will be presented, along with specific challenges to expanding the use of UR in lower division curricula.

Reliability and factorial structure of the taoist-orientation scale for samples of Kuwaiti and American students.

PubMed

Lester, David; Abdel-Khalek, Ahmed

2002-08-01

In a sample of 460 Kuwaiti undergraduates and 273 American students, the Taoist-Orientation scale had different factor patterns in an item-analysis but had good internal consistency reliability for both samples.

Learning Through Reading Scientific Papers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Valderrama, Jose O.

1986-01-01

Describes an activity in which undergraduate students read an international publication to help them have a broader vision of the subject being studied, encourage constructive criticism, promote discussion, and stimulate efforts toward better oral and written communication in the students' native language. (JN)

A Comparison of Internal Dispositions and Career Trajectories after Collaborative versus Apprenticed Research Experiences for Undergraduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frantz, Kyle J.; Demetrikopoulos, Melissa K.; Britner, Shari L.; Carruth, Laura L.; Williams, Brian A.; Pecore, John L.; DeHaan, Robert L.; Goode, Christopher T.

2017-01-01

Undergraduate research experiences confer benefits on students bound for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers, but the low number of research professionals available to serve as mentors often limits access to research. Within the context of our summer research program (BRAIN), we tested the hypothesis that a team-based…

Migration of Undergraduate First-Time Transfers: Snapshot Analysis 2006-2008

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

South Carolina Commission on Higher Education, 2010

2010-01-01

The Commission on Higher Education had a student intern from USC-Columbia initiate an analysis of data on the migration of undergraduate first-time transfers to compare trends, growth, and proportions of transfers to and from various sectors and institution types over a three-year period, from 2006-2008. Staff have refined the analysis and…

Nexus of Learning Style with Satisfaction and Success of Accounting Students: A Cross-Cultural Study at an Australian University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Islam, Jesmin; Rahman, Azizur; Boland, Gregory

2011-01-01

This paper examines the associations of cultural factors and learning styles with the satisfaction and success of undergraduate accounting students in Australia. Using a structured questionnaire, responses from 189 students were collected randomly from domestic and international students enrolled in an accounting programme at the University of…

An Exploration of Students' Motivation to Lead: An Analysis by Race, Gender, and Student Leadership Behaviors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosch, David M.; Collier, Daniel; Thompson, Sara E.

2015-01-01

This exploratory study examined the motivation to lead of a random sample of 1,338 undergraduate students to determine the degree to which motivation to lead can predict leadership behaviors. Results suggested that students' internal self-identity as a leader positively predicted behavior, while their "social normative" motivation to…

Czechoslovakian Institutions of Higher Education and International Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ceska, Zdenek

1984-01-01

Recent experiences in international, interinstitutional cooperation between Czechoslovakian and foreign higher education institutions show that such cooperative efforts are not only feasible but also stimulate undergraduate student intellectual and emotional development, promote principles of equality, and promote understanding of national and…

Designing Effective Undergraduate Research Experiences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Severson, S.

2010-12-01

I present a model for designing student research internships that is informed by the best practices of the Center for Adaptive Optics (CfAO) Professional Development Program. The dual strands of the CfAO education program include: the preparation of early-career scientists and engineers in effective teaching; and changing the learning experiences of students (e.g., undergraduate interns) through inquiry-based "teaching laboratories." This paper will focus on the carry-over of these ideas into the design of laboratory research internships such as the CfAO Mainland internship program as well as NSF REU (Research Experiences for Undergraduates) and senior-thesis or "capstone" research programs. Key ideas in maximizing student learning outcomes and generating productive research during internships include: defining explicit content, scientific process, and attitudinal goals for the project; assessment of student prior knowledge and experience, then following up with formative assessment throughout the project; setting reasonable goals with timetables and addressing motivation; and giving students ownership of the research by implementing aspects of the inquiry process within the internship.

The Emergence of Undergraduate Majors in Global Health: Systematic Review of Programs and Recommendations for Future Directions

PubMed Central

Drain, Paul K.; Mock, Charles; Toole, David; Rosenwald, Anne; Jehn, Megan; Csordas, Thomas; Ferguson, Laura; Waggett, Caryl; Obidoa, Chinekwu; Wasserheit, Judith N.

2017-01-01

Global health education has been expanding rapidly and several universities have created an undergraduate major degree (bachelor's degree) in global heath or global health studies. Because there are currently no national guidelines for undergraduate degrees in global health, each of these programs was developed along individual lines. To guide the development of future global health majors, we conducted a systematic review of undergraduate majors in global health. We identified eight programs and invited program directors or representatives to a symposium at the Consortium of Universities for Global Health 2016 conference to review their existing undergraduate major in global health and to discuss lessons learned and recommendations for other colleges and universities seeking to develop undergraduate degrees in global health. We noted significant diversity among the existing programs in terms of required courses, international field experiences, and thesis research projects. In this review, we describe these global health programs, their student characteristics, as well as the key educational competencies, program requirements, and core global health courses. Based on program reviews and discussions, we identify seven recommendations for the development and expansion of an undergraduate major in global health and discuss issues that have arisen in the curricular development of these programs that warrant further exploration. As the field of global health education continues to expand, following these students after graduation will be essential to ensure that the degree programs in global health both meet student needs and launch students on viable career pathways. PMID:28077739

Known structure, unknown function: An inquiry-based undergraduate biochemistry laboratory course.

PubMed

Gray, Cynthia; Price, Carol W; Lee, Christopher T; Dewald, Alison H; Cline, Matthew A; McAnany, Charles E; Columbus, Linda; Mura, Cameron

2015-01-01

Undergraduate biochemistry laboratory courses often do not provide students with an authentic research experience, particularly when the express purpose of the laboratory is purely instructional. However, an instructional laboratory course that is inquiry- and research-based could simultaneously impart scientific knowledge and foster a student's research expertise and confidence. We have developed a year-long undergraduate biochemistry laboratory curriculum wherein students determine, via experiment and computation, the function of a protein of known three-dimensional structure. The first half of the course is inquiry-based and modular in design; students learn general biochemical techniques while gaining preparation for research experiments in the second semester. Having learned standard biochemical methods in the first semester, students independently pursue their own (original) research projects in the second semester. This new curriculum has yielded an improvement in student performance and confidence as assessed by various metrics. To disseminate teaching resources to students and instructors alike, a freely accessible Biochemistry Laboratory Education resource is available at http://biochemlab.org. © 2015 The Authors Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Guaiacol peroxidase zymography for the undergraduate laboratory.

PubMed

Wilkesman, Jeff; Castro, Diana; Contreras, Lellys M; Kurz, Liliana

2014-01-01

This laboratory exercise presents a novel way to introduce undergraduate students to the specific detection of enzymatic activity by electrophoresis. First, students prepare a crude peroxidase extract and then analyze the homogenate via electrophoresis. Zymography, that is, a SDS-PAGE method to detect enzyme activity, is used to specifically detect peroxidase activity and furthermore, to analyze the total protein profile. After the assay, students may estimate the apparent molecular mass of the enzyme and discuss its structure. After the 4-h experiment, students gain knowledge concerning biological sample preparation, gel preparation, electrophoresis, and the importance of specific staining procedures for the detection of enzymatic activity. Copyright © 2014 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

An Argument against Using Standardized Test Scores for Placement of International Undergraduate Students in English as a Second Language (ESL) Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kokhan, Kateryna

2013-01-01

Development and administration of institutional ESL placement tests require a great deal of financial and human resources. Due to a steady increase in the number of international students studying in the United States, some US universities have started to consider using standardized test scores for ESL placement. The English Placement Test (EPT)…

Using an International p53 Mutation Database as a Foundation for an Online Laboratory in an Upper Level Undergraduate Biology Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Melloy, Patricia G.

2015-01-01

A two-part laboratory exercise was developed to enhance classroom instruction on the significance of p53 mutations in cancer development. Students were asked to mine key information from an international database of p53 genetic changes related to cancer, the IARC TP53 database. Using this database, students designed several data mining activities…

Restructuring an undergraduate dental curriculum to global standards--a case study in an Indian dental school.

PubMed

Kadagad, P; Tekian, A; Pinto, P X; Jirge, V L

2012-05-01

Globalisation has affected all aspects of life and dentistry is no exception. In the context of today's dentist being a global citizen, undergraduate training in dentistry is set to ensure converging standards so that international recognition of dental qualifications can move forward. The decision of the Dental Council of India to expand the undergraduate dental program to five years provides an opportunity to be part of the endeavor of the Global Dental Congress to achieve converging standards which was initially for the European Union, and now spreading out globally. Economic emergence in Indian subcontinent has resulted in growing oral health care needs both in quality and quantity. To address this issue, the graduating dentist needs to be trained following a competency based curricular model. Access to Internet facilitated the goal of achieving converging standards of dental schools to be feasible because of the instant communication and capacity to share information about training strategies via technology across the globe. Upgrading the undergraduate training to global standards by dental schools in India could be a wise and strategic move both for attracting students to study in India, as well as retaining the graduates after their training. The following is a case study of an Indian dental school set to restructure the undergraduate curriculum to global standards using the 8 steps of Kotter's transformational change. Change in curriculum and the subsequent accreditation of the school in global platform not only attracts prospective students but also results in producing competent dentists. Dental education provided by the institution can result in quality assurance, benchmarking the assessment system to achieve international recognition. This paper highlights the need and importance of facilitation of international convergence with long term aspirations for mutual recognition of international degrees. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Burnout in premedical undergraduate students.

PubMed

Fang, Daniel Z; Fang, Daniel; Young, Christina B; Young, Christina; Golshan, Shah; Moutier, Christine; Zisook, Sidney

2012-01-01

There has been growing recognition that medical students, interns, residents and practicing physicians across many specialties are prone to burnout, with recent studies linking high rates of burnout to adverse mental health issues. Little is known about the trajectory and origins of burnout or whether its roots may be traced to earlier in medical training, specifically, during undergraduate studies. Here, the authors surveyed undergraduates at UC San Diego (UCSD) to assess the relationship of burnout to premedical status while controlling for depression severity. Undergraduate students at UCSD were invited to participate in a web-based survey, consisting of demographic questions; the Maslach Burnout Inventory Student Survey (MBI-SS), which gauged the three dimensions of burnout; and the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), to assess depression severity. A total of 618 premedical students and 1,441 non-premedical students completed the questionnaire. Premedical students had greater depression severity and emotional exhaustion than non-premedical students, but they also exhibited a greater sense of personal efficacy. The burnout differences were persistent even after adjusting for depression. Also, premedical women and Hispanic students had especially high levels of burnout, although differences between groups became nonsignificant after accounting for depression. Despite the limitations of using a burnout questionnaire not specifically normed for undergraduates, the unique ethnic characteristics of the sample, and the uncertain response rate, the findings highlight the importance of recognizing the unique strains and mental health disturbances that may be more common among premedical students than non-premedical students. Results also underscore the close relationship between depression and burnout, and point the way for subsequent longitudinal, multi-institutional studies that could help identify opportunities for prevention and intervention.

Promoting Undergraduate Research at Grand Valley State University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riemersma, P.; Mekik, F. A.

2003-12-01

Grand Valley State University (GVSU) is a relatively young, rapidly growing, predominately undergraduate institution of about 20,000 students located in western Michigan in which undergraduate research plays a vital role in the education of our students. Student research is supported and actively promoted by 1) creating university funding opportunities and taking advantage of small outside funding sources 2) building a tradition of undergraduate research 3) incorporating small research activities into classes and 4) educating students explicitly in how to prepare a professional poster, give a professional talk and write a journal article. As the saying goes, if you have money, the students will come. At GVSU most students recognize the value of a research experience but need income to pay for college expenses. The internally funded Student Summer Scholars program at GVSU provides student salary and faculty stipend for a summer research project (\\6000 per grant). The geology department has also been successful at obtaining grants from the NASA Michigan Space Grant Consortium (\\5,000 plus a 100% GVSU match). We have been successful in using these easier to obtain smaller grants to fund undergraduate projects. In some cases small grants actually allow us to pursue "risky" or otherwise difficult to fund projects. Undergraduate research "counts" at GVSU and once a tradition and critical mass of undergraduate research has been established, it can become self-sustaining. To recognize the achievements of undergraduate research at GVSU, there is an annual Student Scholarship Day in which the students (580 university wide) present the results of their research. Also, by persuading students in our introductory classes (for extra credit) to attend Student Scholarship Day, the students, early in their college career, can see what fellow students can accomplish and student presenters can revel in their role of researcher and educator. Such an event helps to build a tradition of undergraduate research. Students are more likely to tackle larger research projects if they have gained confidence and experience by successfully completing smaller research projects. Many upper level geology courses require that students complete a research project. Research projects can range from investigating the grain size variability of river sediment in sedimentology to analyzing a Superfund site in hydrogeology. The geology department is also committed to instructing all our majors in how to organize and communicate the results of their research. Students are required to complete a course in geology Information Literacy and a geology seminar course. The information literacy course instructs the students in how to search for articles, introduces common graphing and computing software and demonstrates how to design and produce a research poster. In seminar, the entire geology faculty participate and instruct and mentor the students as they prepare a research paper and professional talk. In conclusion, we have created a supportive undergraduate research atmosphere at GVSU by acquiring funding for their research, by training our students in how to conduct and present their research, and, perhaps most importantly, by celebrating their accomplishments.

Academic Integrity and Cultural Capital: A Case Study of Incoming Indian Graduate Students in Engineering and Computing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burger, Catherine E.

As the number of international students studying in the United States continues to grow, it is important that educators and administrators at postsecondary institutions understand the diverse educational backgrounds of these students, which has the potential to influence their chances for academic success. Nowhere is this truer than at the graduate-level, where international students now earn more than one-quarter of all doctoral research degrees. Through the lens of academic integrity, this study explores the undergraduate educational experiences of incoming Indian graduate students in engineering and computing disciplines at one southeastern research university, and compares the academic preparedness of these students to the expectations of the graduate faculty. This project demonstrates that the nature of undergraduate education at Indian institutions does not adequately prepare incoming graduate students for the expectations present at US institutions, specifically regarding academic writing and cheating. However, this lack of cultural capital does not appear to disadvantage the student population over the course of their academic careers, as the graduate faculty working with these students spend a significant amount of time and energy helping them socialize into Western educational practices.

Using the American Board of Internal Medicine's "Elements of Professionalism" for undergraduate ethics education.

PubMed

Robins, Lynne S; Braddock, Clarence H; Fryer-Edwards, Kelly A

2002-06-01

To examine the feasibility of using the taxonomy of professional and unprofessional behaviors presented in the American Board of Internal Medicine's (ABIM's) Project Professionalism to categorize ethical issues that undergraduate medical students perceive to be salient. Beginning second-year medical students at the University of Washington School of Medicine (n = 120) were asked to respond to three open-ended questions about professional standards of conduct and peer evaluation. Two of the authors read and coded the students' responses according to the ABIM's elements of professionalism (altruism, accountability, excellence, duty, honor and integrity, and respect for others) and the challenges to those elements (abuse of power, arrogance, greed, misrepresentation, impairment, lack of conscientiousness, and conflict of interest). Coding disagreements were solved using review and revision of the category definitions. New categories were created for students' responses that described behaviors or issues that were not captured in the ABIM's categories. A total of 114 students responded. The ABIM's professional code was adapted for students and teachers, making it context- and learning-stage-specific. One new category of challenges, conflicts of conscience, was added, and one category (abuse of power) was expanded to include abuse of power/negotiating power asymmetries. Using the ABIM's taxonomy to name professional and unprofessional behaviors was particularly useful for examining undergraduate medical students' perceptions of the ethical climate for learning during the first year of medical school, and it holds promise for research into changes in students' perceptions as they move into clinical experiences. Using the framework, students can build a unified professional knowledge-and-skills base.

Undergraduate cancer training program for underrepresented students: findings from a minority institution/cancer center partnership.

PubMed

Coronado, Gloria D; O'Connell, Mary A; Anderson, Jennifer; Löest, Helena; Ogaz, Dana; Thompson, Beti

2010-03-01

Students from racially/ethnically diverse backgrounds are underrepresented in graduate programs in biomedical disciplines. One goal of the Minority Institution/Cancer Center partnership between New Mexico State University (NMSU) and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRC) is to expand the number of underrepresented students who are trained in cancer research. As part of the collaboration, a summer internship program has been organized at the FHCRC. The program runs for 9 weeks and involves mentored research, research seminars, coffee breaks, social activities, and a final poster session. This study examined the graduate school attendance rates of past interns, explored interns' perceptions of the training program, and identified ways to improve the program. Thirty undergraduate students enrolled at NMSU participated in the internship program from 2002 to 2007 and telephone interviews were conducted on 22 (73%) of them. One-third of the students were currently in graduate school (32%); the remaining were either working (36%), still in undergraduate school (27%), or unemployed and not in school (5%). Students rated highly the following aspects of the program: mentored research, informal time spent with mentors, and research seminars. Students also reported the following activities would further enhance the program: instruction on writing a personal statement for graduate school and tips in choosing an advisor. Students also desired instruction on taking the GRE/MCAT, receiving advice on selecting a graduate or professional school, and receiving advice on where to apply. These findings can inform the design of internship programs aimed at increasing rates of graduate school attendance among underrepresented students.

A Comparative Cross-Cultural Study of the Prevalence and Nature of Misconceptions in Physics amongst English and Chinese Undergraduate Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abrahams, Ian; Homer, Matt; Sharpe, Rachael; Zhou, Mengyuan

2015-01-01

Background: Despite the large body of literature regarding student misconceptions, there has been relatively little cross-cultural research to directly compare the prevalence of common scientific misconceptions amongst students from different cultural backgrounds. Whilst previous research does suggest the international nature of many…

A Functional Neuroimaging Study of the Clinical Reasoning of Medical Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Hyung-Joo; Kang, June; Ham, Byung-Joo; Lee, Young-Mee

2016-01-01

As clinical reasoning is a fundamental competence of physicians for good clinical practices, medical academics have endeavored to teach reasoning skills to undergraduate students. However, our current understanding of student-level clinical reasoning is limited, mainly because of the lack of evaluation tools for this internal cognitive process.…

Undergraduate Student Responses to Feedback: Expectations and Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Small, Felicity; Attree, Kath

2016-01-01

This research is a qualitative exploration of first and second year university students' experiences of feedback, specifically focused on their expectations and feelings. The data (n = 46) were collected from internal and distance-learning students in their first or second year, who are of lower socio-economic status and first in family to attend.…

Study Abroad as Innovation: Applying the Diffusion Model to International Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spiering, Kerri; Erickson, Sheri

2006-01-01

This paper uses diffusion of innovation theory as a framework for studying why United States college students who attend study abroad information sessions fail to take advantage of such educational opportunities. Surveys were administered to two groups of undergraduate students--those who studied abroad and those who did not. Students ranked their…

Comprehensive Internationalization: Examining the What, Why, and How at Community Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Butler, Debra-Ann C.

2016-01-01

Community colleges enroll nearly half of the total U.S. undergraduates, have the most diverse student population, and serve as the only contact with postsecondary education for many students. Community colleges have engaged in internationalization efforts for decades. Most rely on study abroad and international students as the only methods to…

Journalogue: Voicing Student Challenges in Writing through a Classroom Blog

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Suneeta

2017-01-01

This study qualitatively analyzes the challenges presented by international undergraduate students in a freshman composition course at a large Midwestern university in the US. 15 students were divided into five groups, of three members each, with varying proficiency levels in writing. They were asked to submit reflections as journal/blog posts, on…

The Effect of Study Abroad on Intercultural Competence among Undergraduate College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salisbury, Mark H.; An, Brian P.; Pascarella, Ernest T.

2013-01-01

International educators have long asserted that study abroad improves students' intercultural competence. However, the evidence is less clear than the rhetoric suggests. Examining longitudinal data from a national study of college students, this study explores the impact of study abroad on intercultural competence while accounting for a host…

The Environmental Action Internal Control Index.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith-Sebasto, N. J.; Fortner, Rosanne W.

1994-01-01

Reports research designed to develop a reliable and valid instrument to assess the relationship between locus of control of reinforcement and environmentally responsible behavior in (n=853) undergraduate students. Results suggest that the Environmental Action Internal Control Index can accurately predict environmentally responsible behavior.…

A Comparison of Internal Dispositions and Career Trajectories after Collaborative versus Apprenticed Research Experiences for Undergraduates

PubMed Central

Frantz, Kyle J.; Demetrikopoulos, Melissa K.; Britner, Shari L.; Carruth, Laura L.; Williams, Brian A.; Pecore, John L.; DeHaan, Robert L.; Goode, Christopher T.

2017-01-01

Undergraduate research experiences confer benefits on students bound for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers, but the low number of research professionals available to serve as mentors often limits access to research. Within the context of our summer research program (BRAIN), we tested the hypothesis that a team-based collaborative learning model (CLM) produces student outcomes at least as positive as a traditional apprenticeship model (AM). Through stratified, random assignment to conditions, CLM students were designated to work together in a teaching laboratory to conduct research according to a defined curriculum led by several instructors, whereas AM students were paired with mentors in active research groups. We used pre-, mid-, and postprogram surveys to measure internal dispositions reported to predict progress toward STEM careers, such as scientific research self-efficacy, science identity, science anxiety, and commitment to a science career. We are also tracking long-term retention in science-related career paths. For both short- and longer-term outcomes, the two program formats produced similar benefits, supporting our hypothesis that the CLM provides positive outcomes while conserving resources, such as faculty mentors. We discuss this method in comparison with course-based undergraduate research and recommend its expansion to institutional settings in which mentor resources are scarce. PMID:28130268

Group-effort applied research: expanding opportunities for undergraduate research through original, class-based research projects.

PubMed

Moore, Sean D; Teter, Ken

2014-01-01

Undergraduate research clearly enriches the educational development of participating students, but these experiences are limited by the inherent inefficiency of the standard one student-one mentor model for undergraduate research. Group-effort applied research (GEAR) was developed as a strategy to provide substantial numbers of undergraduates with meaningful research experiences. The GEAR curriculum delivers concept-driven lecture material and provides hands-on training in the context of an active research project from the instructor's laboratory. Because GEAR is structured as a class, participating students benefit from intensive, supervised research training that involves a built-in network of peer support and abundant contact with faculty mentors. The class format also ensures a relatively standardized and consistent research experience. Furthermore, meaningful progress toward a research objective can be achieved more readily with GEAR than with the traditional one student-one mentor model of undergraduate research because sporadic mistakes by individuals in the class are overshadowed by the successes of the group as a whole. Three separate GEAR classes involving three distinct research projects have been offered to date. In this article, we provide an overview of the GEAR format and review some of the recurring themes for GEAR instruction. We propose GEAR can serve as a template to expand student opportunities for life science research without sacrificing the quality of the mentored research experience. © 2014 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

American undergraduate students' value development during the Great Recession.

PubMed

Park, Heejung; Twenge, Jean M; Greenfield, Patricia M

2017-02-01

The Great Recession's influence on American undergraduate students' values was examined, testing Greenfield's and Kasser's theories concerning value development during economic downturns. Study 1 utilised aggregate-level data to investigate (a) population-level value changes between the pre-recession (2004-2006: n = 824,603) and recession freshman cohort (2008-2010: n = 662,262) and (b) overall associations of population-level values with national economic climates over long-term periods by correlating unemployment rates and concurrent aggregate-level values across 1966-2015 (n = 10 million). Study 2 examined individual-level longitudinal value development from freshman to senior year, and whether the developmental trajectories differed between those who completed undergraduate education before the Great Recession (freshmen in 2002, n = 12,792) versus those who encountered the Great Recession during undergraduate years (freshmen in 2006, n = 13,358). Results suggest American undergraduate students' increased communitarianism (supporting Greenfield) and materialism (supporting Kasser) during the Great Recession. The recession also appears to have slowed university students' development of positive self-views. Results contribute to the limited literature on the Great Recession's influence on young people's values. They also offer theoretical and practical implications, as values of this privileged group of young adults are important shapers of societal values, decisions, and policies. © 2016 International Union of Psychological Science.

International Teaching Assistants at Universities: A Research Agenda

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gorsuch, Greta

2016-01-01

International teaching assistants (ITAs) are Indian, Chinese, Korean, Turkish, etc. international students who have been admitted to graduate study at universities in the U.S.A. and Canada, and are being supported as instructors of undergraduate-level classes and labs in biology, chemistry, physics, and math. For the past 30 years, the number of…

International Content as Hidden Curriculum in Business Statistics: An Overlooked Opportunity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sebastianelli, Rose; Trussler, Susan

2006-01-01

We revisit the issue of internationalizing the required course in business statistics as a means for introducing international subject matter earlier in the undergraduate business curriculum. A survey of sophomore business students indicates that their level of international knowledge is poor. The results are strikingly similar to a decade ago.…

Preparing Medical Students for the World: Service Learning and Global Health Justice

PubMed Central

Parsi, Kayhan; List, Justin

2008-01-01

In this article, we discuss the growth of international service learning in undergraduate medical education and tie it to a burgeoning interest among students and educators in global health justice. The process of experience, reflection, and action is the cornerstone of cultivating a sense of social justice among students. Finally, we examine both risks and benefits to international service learning for medical students. We define “service learning,” distinguish it from service and volunteerism, and offer praxis as a manifestation of professionalism. PMID:19099018

Oral Communication Apprehension among International Doctoral Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amiri, Fatemeh; Puteh, Marlia

2018-01-01

Communication apprehension has been identified as a major factor which inhibits an individual's willingness to communicate and his/her ability to develop effective communication skills. While many prior studies have investigated oral communication apprehension among undergraduate students, there has been little research exploring this phenomenon…

77 FR 64794 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-23

... join in a partnership to encourage outstanding undergraduate students to pursue careers in science and engineering. The Program also provides research opportunities for students to work with internationally known... in science and engineering. The information is used for evaluation and selection, and includes...

Engaging Actively with Issues in the Responsible Conduct of Science: Lessons from International Efforts Are Relevant for Undergraduate Education in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clements, John D.; Connell, Nancy D.; Dirks, Clarissa; El-Faham, Mohamed; Hay, Alastair; Heitman, Elizabeth; Stith, James H.; Bond, Enriqueta C.; Colwell, Rita R.; Anestidou, Lida; Husbands, Jo L.; Labov, Jay B.

2013-01-01

Numerous studies are demonstrating that engaging undergraduate students in original research can improve their achievement in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields and increase the likelihood that some of them will decide to pursue careers in these disciplines. Associated with this increased prominence of research in…

Connecting Ideas to Practice: The Development of an Undergraduate Student's Philosophy of Music Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salazar, Ryan; Randles, Clint

2015-01-01

This article considers the personal reflections of an undergraduate music education major on both the significance of his experience as a participant in the Seventh International Symposium on the Sociology of Music Education, held at Michigan State University, in the United States, in June 2011, and on his place as a pre-service music teacher…

Attitudes and Discourse: Spanish Practitioners' and Undergraduates' Survey Results (Actitudes y discurso: resultados de encuestas a profesionales y estudiantes de medicina)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herrando-Rodrigo, Isabel

2015-01-01

The emergence of English as the international language of communication has increased the attention and concern given its teaching and learning. This survey-based study explores the attitudes of Spanish practitioners and undergraduate students towards English as the vehicular language in the field of medicine and towards Medical Electronic…

Foreign Language Training in U.S. Undergraduate IB Programs: Are We Providing Students What They Need to Be Successful?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Jim

2017-01-01

A growing number of U.S. business schools now offer an undergraduate degree in international business (IB), for which training in a foreign language is a requirement. However, there appears to be considerable variance in the minimum requirements for foreign language training across U.S. business schools, including the provision of…

"Un-Learning and Re-Learning": The Experiences of Chinese Undergraduates in a First Year Management Class in New Zealand

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guan, Xiaoyan; Jones, Glyndwr

2012-01-01

The growth of China's economy over the last two decades saw many Chinese students going overseas to study. Like many western countries, New Zealand benefited from increased international student enrolments, with Chinese students making up the largest proportion of the numbers. Many of these students experienced "culture shock" in their…

Emotional response of undergraduates to cadaver dissection.

PubMed

Wisenden, Patricia A; Budke, Katherine J; Klemetson, Chelsea J; Kurtti, Tana R; Patel, Chandi M; Schwantz, Trenda L; Wisenden, Brian D

2018-03-01

The most effective way to learn human anatomy is through cadaver dissection. Historically, cadaver dissection has been the provenance of professional schools. Increasingly, cadaver-based courses in human anatomy are shifting to the undergraduate level, which creates both problems and opportunities because of differences between undergraduate and graduate student populations. Anxiety associated with dissecting cadavers can create a barrier to learning, and ultimately, entry into the health and medical sciences for some demographic subpopulations of undergraduates. We surveyed 76 students in 2007 and 51 students in 2009 at four times in the semester to investigate the timing and sociodemographic predictors of anxiety over cadaver dissection. We followed this with a second survey of 44 students in 2014 to test the effect of humanization of cadaver donors (providing information about donor occupation and cause of death) to reduce student anxiety. Students experienced anxiety upon first exposure to cadaver dissection. Female students experienced greater anxiety than male students upon first exposure to cadavers but this effect was short-lived. Self-identified non-white, non-Christian students experienced sustained anxiety throughout the semester, likely because cadaver stress compounded social and financial stressors unique to international students. Humanization was effective in reducing anxiety in non-white, non-Christian students but had the unexpected effect of increasing anxiety in female students. We recommend that humanizing information be offered to students who seek it out, but not forced upon students for whom the information would only add to their stress. Clin. Anat. 31:224-230, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A community engagement project in an undergraduate oceanography course to increase engagement and representation in marine science among high school students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, C. D.; Prairie, J. C.; Walters, S. A.

2016-02-01

In the context of undergraduate education in oceanography, we are constantly striving for innovative ways to enhance student learning and enthusiasm for marine science. Community engagement is a form of experiential education that not only promotes a better understanding of concepts among undergraduate students but also allows them to interact with the community in a way that is mutually beneficial to both parties. Here I present on my experience in incorporating a community engagement project in my undergraduate physical oceanography course at the University of San Diego (USD) in collaboration with Mission Bay High School (MBHS), a local Title 1 International Baccalaureate high school with a high proportion of low-income students and students from underrepresented groups in STEM. As part of this project, the undergraduate students from my physical oceanography course were challenged to develop interactive workshops to present to the high school students at MBHS on some topic in oceanography. Prior to the workshops, the USD students met with the high school students at MBHS during an introductory meeting in which they could learn about each other's interests and backgrounds. The USD students then worked in teams of three to design a workshop proposal in which they outlined their plan for a workshop that was interactive and engaging, relying on demonstrations and activities rather than lecture. Each of the three teams then presented their workshops on separate days in the Mission Bay High School classroom. Finally, the USD students met again with the high school students at MBHS for a conclusion day in which both sets of students could discuss their experiences with the community engagement project. Through the workshop itself and a reflection essay written afterwards, the USD students learned to approach concepts in oceanography from a different perspective, and think about how student backgrounds can inform teaching these concepts. I will describe preliminary outcomes of this project and discuss the potential of community engagement projects in general to positively impact and integrate both undergraduate and high school education in ocean science.

Integrating grant-funded research into the undergraduate biology curriculum using IMG-ACT.

PubMed

Ditty, Jayna L; Williams, Kayla M; Keller, Megan M; Chen, Grischa Y; Liu, Xianxian; Parales, Rebecca E

2013-01-01

It has become clear in current scientific pedagogy that the emersion of students in the scientific process in terms of designing, implementing, and analyzing experiments is imperative for their education; as such, it has been our goal to model this active learning process in the classroom and laboratory in the context of a genuine scientific question. Toward this objective, the National Science Foundation funded a collaborative research grant between a primarily undergraduate institution and a research-intensive institution to study the chemotactic responses of the bacterium Pseudomonas putida F1. As part of the project, a new Bioinformatics course was developed in which undergraduates annotate relevant regions of the P. putida F1 genome using Integrated Microbial Genomes Annotation Collaboration Toolkit, a bioinformatics interface specifically developed for undergraduate programs by the Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute. Based on annotations of putative chemotaxis genes in P. putida F1 and comparative genomics studies, undergraduate students from both institutions developed functional genomics research projects that evolved from the annotations. The purpose of this study is to describe the nature of the NSF grant, the development of the Bioinformatics lecture and wet laboratory course, and how undergraduate student involvement in the project that was initiated in the classroom has served as a springboard for independent undergraduate research projects. Copyright © 2012 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

University of Maryland MRSEC - Site Map

Science.gov Websites

; National Labs International Educational Education Pre-College Programs Homeschool Programs Undergraduate Education Outreach: Pre-college Programs Project Lead the Way Chemistry Programs Student Science Conference

Undergraduate Health Students' Intention to Use Evidence-Based Practice After Graduation: A Systematic Review of Predictive Modeling Studies.

PubMed

Ramis, Mary-Anne; Chang, Anne; Nissen, Lisa

2018-04-01

Incorporating evidence-based practice (EBP) into clinical decision making and professional practice is a requirement for many health disciplines, yet research across health disciplines on factors that influence and predict student intention to use EBP following graduation has not been previously synthesized. To synthesize research on factors that influence development of EBP behaviors and subsequently predict undergraduate students' intention toward EBP uptake. A systematic review of prediction modeling studies was conducted according to a protocol previously published on the Prospero database: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/. The outcome variable was undergraduate students' future use or intention to use EBP. Evidence synthesis methods were guided by resources from the Cochrane Methods Prognosis Group Web site (https://prognosismethods.cochrane.org). Only three studies were found to meet inclusion criteria for the review. Factors relating to EBP capability, EBP attitudes, as well as clinical and academic support were identified as influential toward students' intention to use evidence in practice. Heterogeneity limited data pooling, consequently, results are presented in narrative and tabular form. Although using a developing method, this review presents a unique contribution to further discussions regarding students' intention to use EBP following graduation. Despite limitations, consideration of identified factors for undergraduate curriculum could support student's intention to use EBP in their respective clinical environments. © 2017 Sigma Theta Tau International.

Physical Attractiveness, Locus of Control, Sex Role, and Conversational Assertiveness.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Keith F.; And Others

1990-01-01

Analyzes the relationship among physical attractiveness, locus of control, sex role orientation, and assertiveness in undergraduate students. Reviews videotapes of mixed-sex student groups engaged in discussion. Finds an internal locus of control positively correlated with assertiveness. Uses a behavioral measure of assertiveness rather than…

Predictors of Obesity Bias among Exercise Science Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Langdon, Jody; Rukavina, Paul; Greenleaf, Christy

2016-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to investigate particular psychosocial predictors of obesity bias in prehealth professionals, which include the internalization of athletic and general body ideals, perceived media pressure and information, and achievement goal orientations. Exercise science undergraduate students (n = 242) filled out a survey…

Survival Counseling Skills for New Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pirtle, Trace N.; Perez, Patricia

This paper describes a three-part project designed collaboratively by a university professor and a public school teacher to increase teaching interns' knowledge, awareness, and skill in conceptualizing and intervening with challenging students and better prepare them for persisting in the classroom. Participants were 64 undergraduate students. The…

Utilizing International Clinical Practice to Build Inter-Cultural Sensitivity in Social Work Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krajewski-Jaime, Elvia R.; And Others

1996-01-01

Twenty-three undergraduate social work students from Eastern Michigan University completed a seven-week internship in a geriatric unit at a Mexico City hospital. Analyzes stages that students went through as they began to realize the importance of cultural context and to understand cultural differences in human behavior and service provision.…

Attitudes toward International Careers among Male and Female Canadian Business Students after 9-11

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Bruce C. Y.; Bu, Nailin

2004-01-01

Career aspirations of 145 senior undergraduate business students in Canada were analyzed. An overwhelming majority desired an overseas assignment at some point in their career, and they were not adversely affected by the 9-11 terrorist attack. While 60 percent of the students considered pursuing a global career with multiple international…

International Business Education at Best B-Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eisner, Susan; Harvey, Mary Ellen O'Grady

2008-01-01

This paper investigates the preparation undergraduate students readying for participation in the global economy and interested in international business careers can receive at U.S. business schools. Existing literature point to the importance of internationalizing business education, but have been relatively silent in recent years regarding its…

Assessors for communication skills: SPs or healthcare professionals?

PubMed

Liew, Siaw-Cheok; Dutta, Susmita; Sidhu, Jagmohni Kaur; De-Alwis, Ranjit; Chen, Nicole; Sow, Chew-Fei; Barua, Ankur

2014-07-01

The complexity of modern medicine creates more challenges for teaching and assessment of communication skills in undergraduate medical programme. This research was conducted to study the level of communication skills among undergraduate medical students and to determine the difference between simulated patients and clinical instructors' assessment of communication skills. This comparative study was conducted for three months at the Clinical Skills and Simulation Centre of the International Medical University in Malaysia. The modified Calgary-Cambridge checklist was used to assess the communication skills of 50 first year and 50 second year medical students (five-minutes pre-recorded interview videos on the scenario of sore throat). These videos were reviewed and scored by simulated patients (SPs), communication skills instructors (CSIs) and non-communication skills instructors (non-CSIs). Better performance was observed among the undergraduate medical students, who had formal training in communication skills with a significant difference in overall scores detected among the first and second year medical students (p = 0.0008). A non-significant difference existed between the scores of SPs and CSIs for Year 1 (p = 0.151). The SPs could be trained and involved in assessment of communication skills. Formal training in communication skills is necessary in the undergraduate medical programme.

An IYPT-based undergraduate physics tournament in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Chuanyong; Song, Feng; Liu, Yubin; Sun, Qian

2013-03-01

International Young Physicists' Tournament (IYPT) is a team-oriented scientific competition of secondary school students. The participants present their solutions to scientific problems they have prepared over several months and discuss their solutions with other teams. It can also be implemented in university level as its physics problems are all open questions and have no standard answers, especially suitable for undergraduates' ability training in China. The annual tournament of physics learning of undergraduates in our school of physics was started in 2008. Each year, there are 15-18 teams, 20 more student volunteers and 30 more faculty jurors involved. The students benefited in different ways. It is project-based, requiring students to solve the problems in a research way. Team work is developed in both experimenting and discussing stages. The knowledge learned in classrooms can be used to solve these practical and life-related problems, raising their interest and initiative in physics learning. Finally, they are building up their skills in scientific presentation and communication. An IYPT-based program called CUPT (China undergraduate physics tournament) was launched in 2010 and annually attracts about 40 universities to attend. It gains its important role in physics education. National Fund for Talent Training in Basic Sciences (J1103208)

Effectiveness of UK and International A-Level Assessment in Predicting Performance in Engineering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Birch, David M.; Rienties, Bart

2014-01-01

In many universities, admissions decisions are made based upon the advanced-level (A-Level) results. The purpose of this study was to assess the value of A-level and international equivalents as a predictor of early achievement in higher education. About 135 UK and 92 international undergraduate engineering students from 35 countries were assessed…

[Environmental Hazards Assessment Program annual report, June 1992--June 1993]. Summer undergraduate research program: Environmental studies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McMillan, J.

1993-12-01

The purpose of the summer undergraduate internship program for research in environmental studies is to provide an opportunity for well-qualified students to undertake an original research project as an apprentice to an active research scientist in basic environmental research. Ten students from throughout the midwestern and eastern areas of the country were accepted into the program. These students selected projects in the areas of marine sciences, biostatistics and epidemiology, and toxicology. The research experience for all these students and their mentors was very positive. The seminars were well attended and the students showed their interest in the presentations and environmentalmore » sciences as a whole by presenting the speakers with thoughtful and intuitive questions. This report contains the research project written presentations prepared by the student interns.« less

Student diversity and implications for clinical competency development amongst domestic and international speech-language pathology students.

PubMed

Attrill, Stacie; Lincoln, Michelle; McAllister, Sue

2012-06-01

International students graduating from speech-language pathology university courses must achieve the same minimum competency standards as domestic students. This study aimed to collect descriptive information about the number, origin, and placement performance of international students as well as perceptions of the performance of international students on placement. University Clinical Education Coordinators (CECs), who manage clinical placements in eight undergraduate and six graduate entry programs across the 10 participating universities in Australia and New Zealand completed a survey about 3455 international and domestic speech-language pathology students. Survey responses were analysed quantitatively and qualitatively with non-parametric statistics and thematic analysis. Results indicated that international students came from a variety of countries, but with a regional focus on the countries of Central and Southern Asia. Although domestic students were noted to experience significantly less placement failure, fewer supplementary placements, and reduced additional placement support than international students, the effect size of these relationships was consistently small and therefore weak. CECs rated international students as more frequently experiencing difficulties with communication competencies on placement. However, CECs qualitative comments revealed that culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) students may experience more difficulties with speech-language pathology competency development than international students. Students' CALD status should be included in future investigations of factors influencing speech-language pathology competency development.

STEM-related, Student-led Service Learning / Community Engagement Projects: Examples and Benefits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swap, R. J.; Wayland, K.

2015-12-01

Field-based, STEM-related service learning / community engagement projects present an opportunity for undergraduate students to demonstrate proficiencies related to the process of inquiry. These proficiencies include: appreciation of the larger project context, articulation of an informed question/hypothesis, project proposal development, interdisciplinary collaboration, project management (including planning, implementation reconfiguration and synthesis) and lastly the generation and handing off of acquired knowledge. Calls for these types of proficiencies have been expressed by governmental, non-governmental as well as the private sector. Accordingly, institutions of higher learning have viewed such activities as opportunities for enriching the learning experience for undergraduate students and for making such students more marketable, especially those from STEM-related fields. This institutional interest has provided an opportunity to support and expand field-based learning. Here we present examples of student-led/faculty-mentored international service learning and community engagement projects along the arc of preparation, implementation and post-field process. Representative examples that draw upon environmental science and engineering knowledge have been selected from more than 20 international undergraduate student projects over past decade and include: slow-sand water filtration, rainwater harvesting, methane biodigesters, water reticulation schemes and development and implementation of rocket stoves for communal cooking. We discuss these efforts in terms of the development of the aforementioned proficiencies, the utility of such proficiencies to the larger enterprise of STEM and the potential for transformative student learning outcomes. We share these experiences and lessons learned with the hope that others may intelligently borrow from our approach in a manner appropriate for their particular context.

Senior medical students' attitudes toward psychiatry as a career choice before and after an undergraduate psychiatry internship in Iran.

PubMed

Amini, Homayoun; Moghaddam, Yasaman; Nejatisafa, Ali-Akbar; Esmaeili, Sara; Kaviani, Hosein; Shoar, Saeed; Shabani, Amir; Samimi-Ardestani, Mehdi; Akhlaghi, Amir Abbas Keshavarz; Noroozi, Alireza; Mafi, Mostafa

2013-05-01

The study aimed to assess 1) the attitudes of medical students in the sixth and seventh years (known as interns in Iran) toward psychiatry as a career choice, and 2) the degree of attractiveness of psychiatry as a career choice, with regard to various defined aspects, before and after an undergraduate psychiatry internship (similar to the medical school psychiatry rotation in the United States, but mandatory in Iran) in three major medical schools in Tehran, the capital of Iran. Sixth- and seventh-year medical students (locally called interns, N=347) at Tehran, Shahid Beheshti, and Iran Universities of Medical Sciences were consecutively invited to complete anonymous self-report questionnaires designed to assess their perceptions of careers in psychiatry before and after internship in psychiatry wards. Also, students evaluated psychiatry in terms of the factors that reflected the degree of attractiveness of this specialty. Positive responses toward choosing psychiatry as a career were seen in 18.8% before and 20.0% after psychiatry rotation. No significant differences were observed in the positive responses before and after psychiatry internship. The students' opinions changed to a more attractive degree in terms of only 3 out of the 13 defined aspects. There was also no significant difference in the total score on attractiveness of psychiatry before and after the psychiatry internship. The study indicated that undergraduate psychiatry internship might not induce more students to consider psychiatry as a possible career. The present pattern of psychiatry education in Iran seems not to positively affect most aspects of medical students' attitudes toward psychiatry.

Perceptions of Female Muslim Students Who Veil: Campus Religious Climate

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seggie, Fatma Nevra; Sanford, Gretchen

2010-01-01

This article is based on a small qualitative case study that examined the perceptions of undergraduate Muslim American and Muslim international female students regarding the campus religious climate in a predominantly Christian four-year research university. Specifically, it seeks to understand the opportunities and challenges of female Muslim…

Culture and Commerce in France: An Anthropological/Sociological Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Normand, Guessler

1986-01-01

The University of Toledo developed a course, primarily for its undergraduate business administration students, to hone their awareness of how business practices and approaches are shaped by culture. The course also aims to give students the opportunity to function effectively in the increasingly international environment of business. An outline…

Reading Trends and Perceptions Towards Islamic English Websites as Teaching Materials

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khairuddin, Zurina; Shukry, Azimah Shurfa Mohammed; Sani, Nurshafawati Ahmad

2014-01-01

This paper is a study of the reading trends and perceptions of Muslim Malaysian undergraduate students towards Islamic English websites as pedagogical materials in English language classrooms. Data was collected through a set of questionnaires to 180 students from the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) and Universiti Sultan…

Establishing Cooperative Competency-Based Internships for Parks and Recreation Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hurd, Amy R.; Schlatter, Barbara E.

2007-01-01

Since internships are generally the culminating undergraduate experience, it is often assumed that students will be fully prepared to enter the workforce upon completion of the internship. However, senior interns are often uncertain about their professional strengths and weaknesses and about the expectations of agency professionals in terms of…

Burnout in Premedical Undergraduate Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Christina; Fang, Daniel; Golshan, Shah; Moutier, Christine; Zisook, Sidney

2012-01-01

Background: There has been growing recognition that medical students, interns, residents and practicing physicians across many specialties are prone to burnout, with recent studies linking high rates of burnout to adverse mental health issues. Little is known about the trajectory and origins of burnout or whether its roots may be traced to earlier…

East Carolina University Uses Simple Technology to Link Its Students with Peers Overseas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fischer, Karin

2009-01-01

Just 1 percent of East Carolina University undergraduates study overseas. But thanks to a pair of enterprising faculty members, a growing number of students are having international experiences without ever leaving the Greenville, North Carolina campus. The university's Global Understanding program uses inexpensive and relatively unsophisticated…

Supporting and Evaluating Transitional Learning for International University Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Owens, Alison

2011-01-01

In 2007, as part of its response to the continuing diversification of students, Central Queensland University introduced a for-credit undergraduate course, "The Principles of University Learning", focusing on "learning to learn" in the Australian university context. The aim was to support the transition of learners with diverse…

A Classroom Experiment on Exchange Rate Determination with Purchasing Power Parity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, David T.; Rebelein, Robert P.; Schneider, Patricia H.; Simpson, Nicole B.; Fisher, Eric

2009-01-01

The authors developed a classroom experiment on exchange rate determination appropriate for undergraduate courses in macroeconomics and international economics. In the experiment, students represent citizens from different countries and need to obtain currency to purchase goods. By participating in an auction to buy currency, students gain a…

Reflections from the Trenches: Our Development as Feminist Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharp, Elizabeth A.; Bermudez, J. Maria; Watson, Wendy; Fitzpatrick, Jacki

2007-01-01

In this article, we share our challenges and positive experiences of using feminist pedagogy to teach an undergraduate course on gender development. We use a developmental contextual, feminist perspective to address issues related to (a) internalized sexism, (b) contrasts in students religious beliefs and sexism, (c) students' developmental level,…

Learning by Doing: Using an Online Simulation Game in an International Relations Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Epley, Jennifer

2016-01-01

Integrating interactive learning activities into undergraduate courses is one method for increasing student interest, engagement, and skills development. Online simulation games in particular offer students the unique applied opportunity to "learn by doing" in a virtual space to further their overall knowledge base and critical thinking…

Comparing the Plate-Tectonics-Related Misconceptions of High School Students and University Undergraduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kàdàr, Anett; Farsang, Andrea

2017-01-01

International research into the nature, emergence, and development of geographical misconceptions is substantial. However, Hungarian educational research lags behind in exploring this phenomenon in detail. The present study identified some plate-tectonics-related misconceptions of three distinctive groups of students: ninth-grade secondary school…

Attributions for Abstinence from Illicit Drugs by University Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosenberg, Harold; Baylen, Chelsea; Murray, Shanna; Phillips, Kristina; Tisak, Marie S.; Versland, Amelia; Pristas, Erica

2008-01-01

Aim: To assess college students' attributions for abstinence from alcohol and illicit drugs. Method: We recruited 125 undergraduates to rate the degree to which each of 41 listed reasons influenced their abstention from six specific substances (alcohol, MDMA/ecstasy, inhalants, cocaine, marijuana, and hallucinogens). Findings: Internal consistency…

75 FR 20981 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Educational Partnership Program (EPP) and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-22

... completion of a NOAA student scholar reference form in support of the scholarship application by academic... internal tracking purposes. NOAA OEd grantees are required to update the student tracker database with the... tracker database form, 16 hours; graduate application form, 8 hours; undergraduate application form, 8...

Teaching Undergraduate Business Management Courses on Campus and in Prisons.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rudin, Joel P.

1998-01-01

In a comparison of performance in a business management course by on-campus and incarcerated students (the latter taught via interactive television), prisoners outperformed both U.S. and international on-campus students. Results may support the argument that elimination of Pell Grants for prisoners was shortsighted. (SK)

An Investigation into Good Teaching Traits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Korte, Leon; Lavin, Angeline; Davies, Thomas

2013-01-01

Undergraduate and graduate students at an AACSB International accredited Midwestern business school were surveyed about their perceptions of traits that might contribute to good teaching. Thirty-five traits were presented for evaluation. Students scored each trait and identified the items they perceived as the five most important and the five…

Transformational Learning and Community Development: Early Reflections on Professional and Community Engagement at Macquarie University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rawlings-Sanaei, Felicity; Sachs, Judyth

2014-01-01

Professional and Community Engagement (PACE) at Macquarie University offers undergraduate students experiential learning opportunities with local, regional, and international partners. In PACE projects, students work toward meeting the partner's organizational goals while they develop their capabilities, learn through the process of engagement,…

Developing Leadership Skills of Undergraduate Engineering Students: Perspectives from Engineering Faculty

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cox, Monica F.; Cekic, Osman; Adams, Stephanie G.

2010-01-01

The engineering education community (motivated by internal and external factors) has begun to focus on leadership abilities of college students in engineering fields via reports from ABET, the National Academy of Engineering, and the National Research Council. These reports have directed criticism toward higher education institutions for their…

Known structure, unknown function: An inquiry‐based undergraduate biochemistry laboratory course

PubMed Central

Gray, Cynthia; Price, Carol W.; Lee, Christopher T.; Dewald, Alison H.; Cline, Matthew A.; McAnany, Charles E.

2015-01-01

Abstract Undergraduate biochemistry laboratory courses often do not provide students with an authentic research experience, particularly when the express purpose of the laboratory is purely instructional. However, an instructional laboratory course that is inquiry‐ and research‐based could simultaneously impart scientific knowledge and foster a student's research expertise and confidence. We have developed a year‐long undergraduate biochemistry laboratory curriculum wherein students determine, via experiment and computation, the function of a protein of known three‐dimensional structure. The first half of the course is inquiry‐based and modular in design; students learn general biochemical techniques while gaining preparation for research experiments in the second semester. Having learned standard biochemical methods in the first semester, students independently pursue their own (original) research projects in the second semester. This new curriculum has yielded an improvement in student performance and confidence as assessed by various metrics. To disseminate teaching resources to students and instructors alike, a freely accessible Biochemistry Laboratory Education resource is available at http://biochemlab.org. © 2015 The Authors Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 43(4):245–262, 2015. PMID:26148241

The Language & International Trade Program at Clemson University.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Suarez, Jose I.

Clemson University (South Carolina) has developed an undergraduate Language and International Trade program designed to train students to meet the needs of American firms doing business overseas. Program aims are that graduates know one foreign language, be attuned to cultural differences, have a business training foundation, and have experience…

Globalizing the Undergraduate Experience in Agricultural Leadership, Education, Extension, and Communication

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heinert, Seth B.; Roberts, T. Grady

2016-01-01

University graduates are entering a workforce where global competencies are important; yet, a vast majority graduate with limited international educational experience. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to describe themes of international educational experiences currently being offered to students of agricultural leadership,…

Educational Experiences Associated with International Students' Learning, Development, and Positive Perceptions of Campus Climate

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glass, Chris R.

2012-01-01

This research project uses the constructive-developmental tradition, in the self-authorship framework of intercultural maturity (King & Baxter Magolda, 2005), to examine the extent to which 12 specific educational experiences may be associated with international undergraduates' learning, development, and perception of campus climate. The study…

Item Analysis to Improve Reliability for an Internal Medicine Undergraduate OSCE

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Auewarakul, Chirayu; Downing, Steven M.; Praditsuwan, Rungnirand; Jaturatamrong, Uapong

2005-01-01

Utilization of objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) for final assessment of medical students in Internal Medicine requires a representative sample of OSCE stations. The reliability and generalizability of OSCE scores provides validity evidence for OSCE scores and supports its contribution to the final clinical grade of medical…

Internal consistency reliability and validity of the Arabic translation of the Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument.

PubMed

Alkhateeb, Haitham M

2004-06-01

The Arabic translation of the Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs was completed by 144 undergraduate students (M age=20.6) in Jordan. The findings support the internal reliability of the Arabic translation of the Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs as well as its construct validity.

Commitment to the Study of International Business and Cultural Intelligence: A Multilevel Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramsey, Jase R.; Barakat, Livia L.; Aad, Amine Abi

2014-01-01

Adopting a multilevel theoretical framework, we examined how metacognitive and motivational cultural intelligence influence an individual's commitment to the study of international business (IB). Data from 292 undergraduate and graduate business students nested in 12 U.S. business school classes demonstrated that individuals' metacognitive and…

Research Experience for Undergraduates: Understanding the Arctic as a System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexeev, V. A.; Walsh, J. E.; Arp, C. D.; Hock, R.; Euskirchen, E. S.; Kaden, U.; Polyakov, I.; Romanovsky, V. E.; Trainor, S.

2017-12-01

Today, more than ever, an integrated cross-disciplinary approach is necessary to understand and explain changes in the Arctic and the implications of those changes. Responding to needs in innovative research and education for understanding high-latitude rapid climate change, scientists at the International Arctic research Center of the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) established a new REU (=Research Experience for Undergraduates) NSF-funded site, aiming to attract more undergraduates to arctic sciences. The science focus of this program, building upon the research strengths of UAF, is on understanding the Arctic as a system with emphasis on its physical component. The goals, which were to disseminate new knowledge at the frontiers of polar science and to ignite the enthusiasm of the undergraduates about the Arctic, are pursued by involving undergraduate students in research and educational projects with their mentors using the available diverse on-campus capabilities. IARC hosted the first group of eight students this past summer, focusing on a variety of different disciplines of the Arctic System Science. Students visited research sites around Fairbanks and in remote parts of Alaska (Toolik Lake Field Station, Gulkana glacier, Bonanza Creek, Poker Flats, the CRREL Permafrost Tunnel and others) to see and experience first-hand how the arctic science is done. Each student worked on a research project guided by an experienced instructor. The summer program culminated with a workshop that consisted of reports from the students about their experiences and the results of their projects.

[The effects of a new model of hospital management on undergraduate teaching of urology].

PubMed

Bogado S, Justo; Bogado C, Mariana; López C, Ilse; Rosselot J, Eduardo

2010-04-01

Since January 2005, a new model for hospital coordinated assistance was implanted in Chile, denominated Self Managed Hospitals in net, to improve resource use effectiveness and efficiency. This new design changed health care and teaching models. To analyze, understand and to reflect on how teachers and students of the Urology Unit of the Eastern Campus of the Faculty of Medicine in the University of Chile, perceive learning in this new hospital scenario. A qualitative methodology was used, including semi-structured interviews to chief teachers and focal groups of teachers and students. Also, a written structured questionnaire was answered by a group of 5th year students and interns. University teachers perceive that undergraduate learning is affected in the new hospital scenario. Students think that they have less opportunities to directly interact with patients, and therefore have fewer possibilities to take medical histories, perform physical examinations, and fewer occasions to discuss cases with their tutors. The new health system that runs hospitals under a network could jeopardize undergraduate teaching. This is the case for the Urology Service at Hospital and the corresponding Department of Specialties, where the dominant perception of teachers and a number of students is that their clinical learning is endangered by these innovations. To obtain the learning objectives of the undergraduate program in this subject, reorientation of their ambulatory practice and derivation skills must be rationally elaborated to improve students accomplishment.

Perceptions of dental students in Japanese national universities about studying abroad.

PubMed

Oka, H; Ishida, Y; Hong, G; Nguyen, P T T

2018-02-01

Dental faculties in Japan have organised many short-term international exchange programs to enable their undergraduates to study abroad. However, not many students apply for those programs. In this present study, we attempted to clarify the factors that discourage undergraduate dental students from studying abroad. We administered a questionnaire survey to 512 undergraduate dental students in three national universities located in different areas in Japan. Although 61.7% of the participants expressed interest in studying abroad, only 19.1% of them had prior experiences of study abroad or plans to do so. Their main worries were about lack of sufficient language ability in academic fields. Comparing those who were interested in studying abroad with those who were not revealed significant differences regarding their concern about lack of language ability and lack of specialised knowledge in dentistry. Participants who did not want to study abroad indicated that they did not perceive a purpose in doing so and cited not having foreign friends as a problem. Household income was significantly correlated with concerns about overall expenses. Overall, language ability and academic knowledge appeared to be the two strongest factors affecting dental students' consideration of studying abroad. Dental schools in Japan can use the findings of this study to improve their undergraduate exchange programs in such a way as to stimulate greater interest amongst their students. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Successes and Challenges in the SAGE (Summer of Applied Geophysical Experience) REU Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Braile, L. W.; Baldridge, W. S.; Pellerin, L.; Ferguson, J. F.; Bedrosian, P.; Biehler, S.; Jiracek, G. R.; Snelson, C. M.; Kelley, S.; McPhee, D.

2014-12-01

The SAGE program was initiated in 1983 to provide an applied geophysics research and education experience for students. Since 1983, 820 students have completed the SAGE summer program. Beginning in 1992, with funding from the NSF, SAGE has included an REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) experience for selected undergraduate students from U.S. colleges and universities. Since 1992, 380 undergraduate REU students have completed the SAGE program. The four week, intensive, summer program is based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and involves students in learning geophysical theory and applications; collection of geophysical field data in the northern Rio Grande Rift area; data processing, modeling and interpretation; and presentation (oral and written) of results of each student's research results. Students (undergraduates, graduates and professionals) and faculty are together on a school campus for the summer program. Successful strategies (developed over the years) of the program include teamwork experience, mentoring of REUs (by faculty and more senior students), cultural interchange due to students from many campuses across the U.S. and international graduate students, including industry visitors who work with the students and provide networking, a capstone experience of the summer program that includes all students making a "professional-meeting" style presentation of their research and submitting a written report, a follow-up workshop for the REU students to enhance and broaden their experience, and providing professional development for the REUs through oral or poster presentations and attendance at a professional meeting. Program challenges include obtaining funding from multiple sources; significant time investment in program management, reporting, and maintaining contact with our many funding sources and industry affiliates; and, despite significant efforts, limited success in recruiting racial and ethnic minority students to the program.

An Investigation of the Impact of Research-Led Education on Student Learning and Understandings of Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jiang, Fuming; Roberts, Pamela J.

2011-01-01

This study investigated the impact of two approaches to research-led education on students' learning and their understandings of research in the context of two university courses in international business involving third year undergraduate and graduate students. One approach involved the lecturer using his research as the basis for a case-study…

A comparative cross-cultural study of the prevalence and nature of misconceptions in physics amongst English and Chinese undergraduate students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abrahams, Ian; Homer, Matt; Sharpe, Rachael; Zhou, Mengyuan

2015-01-01

Background:Despite the large body of literature regarding student misconceptions, there has been relatively little cross-cultural research to directly compare the prevalence of common scientific misconceptions amongst students from different cultural backgrounds. Whilst previous research does suggest the international nature of many misconceptions, there is little evidence as to whether the prevalence of such common misconceptions varies from culture to culture. Purpose:To undertake a preliminary examination of the prevalence and reasons for some previously studied scientific misconceptions amongst English and Chinese undergraduate students so as to ascertain whether there is any evidence of cultural difference. Such a finding could help to identify teaching approaches in either country that are more effective in reducing the prevalence of common student misconceptions. Sample:The study involved a convenience sample of 40 undergraduate students - 20 English and 20 Chinese drawn equally from two universities in the North of England - whose formal science education ended at ages 16 and 15 respectively. Design and methods:The study employed semi-structured interview schedule containing eight questions. Results:Whilst similar misconceptions existed amongst both English and Chinese undergraduates, their prevalence was significantly higher amongst the English students (Overall mean score for scientifically correct answers amongst Chinese students was 27.7% higher, p < .01, r = .64). Often when English and Chinese undergraduates had similar misconceptions, they tended to explain these by drawing upon very similar erroneous analogies and these appear to be only nominally culturally independent in that they are based on globally shared everyday experiences. Conclusion:Differences in the prevalence of misconceptions amongst English and Chinese undergraduates appear to arise from differences in the way in which specific areas of physics are taught in both countries. It might be possible to reduce the prevalence of misconceptions in both countries if a better understanding could be developed of how, and why, undergraduates use certain erroneous analogies, and why some teaching approaches seem more effective in reducing the prevalence of misconceptions than others.

International Summer Student Seminar (3S), from Idea to Realization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karpik, A. P.; Peled, A.; Musikhin, L. A.; Deren, L.; Seredovich, V. A.

2012-08-01

The article gives a spotlight on a three universities (Moscow State University of Geodesy and Cartography, Siberian State Academy of Geodesy, Wuhan University) and ISPRS' cooperation in organizing and holding summer student seminars for undergraduate, master, and PhD students of the universities specializing in photogrammetry, remote sensing, GIS, aerial and space cartography. Principles of topics of the seminar selection, lecture courses delivering and practical training as well as international joint team work on projects and their defence are described. The description of the basic stages of 3S implementation, and the goals of this sort of the international event is given.

Using International Videoconferencing to Extend the Global Reach of Community Health Nursing Education.

PubMed

Ziemba, Rosemary; Sarkar, Norma J; Pickus, Becca; Dallwig, Amber; Wan, Jiayi Angela; Alcindor, Hilda

2016-07-01

Travel abroad provides college students with a unique learning experience. When plans to take undergraduate community health nursing students from the United States to Haiti were cancelled due to health and safety concerns, faculty piloted international videoconferencing with a nursing program in Haiti as an alternative. During this semester-long course, students in both countries assessed a local community using the Community as Partner framework and compared findings during videoconferences with their international peers. Despite communication challenges such as language barriers and limited internet access in Haiti, evaluative data suggests that all students valued learning with their nursing student peers in another country. For future international videoconferencing endeavors, especially with under-resourced communities, we provide recommendations in the following categories: 1) Building relationships with a partner school, 2) Technology, 3) Pedagogy, and 4) Facilitating interactions between students. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Learning from Success: Campus Case Studies in International Program Development. Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Studies in Science, Technology and Culture. Volume 15.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelleher, Ann

The case studies presented in this volume offer comparative examples of undergraduate international education innovations in a wide variety of categories: curriculum, study abroad, community outreach, faculty development, and international students. The studies were conducted in the mid-1990s, and programs had to meet several criteria: they had to…

"Into the Melting Pot": The Development of a European Dimension in a 4-Year Programme in Languages and International Marketing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, R. Leslie

In response to the need for improved international trade in Ireland, an undergraduate program of applied languages and international marketing was developed at the National Institute for Higher Education, a unique Irish technological university in Dublin. In the first year, students study French and German and four business subjects (marketing,…

A motivational account of the undergraduate experience in science: brief measures of students' self-system appraisals, engagement in coursework, and identity as a scientist

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skinner, Ellen; Saxton, Emily; Currie, Cailin; Shusterman, Gwen

2017-11-01

As part of long-standing efforts to promote undergraduates' success in science, researchers have investigated the instructional strategies and motivational factors that promote student learning and persistence in science coursework and majors. This study aimed to create a set of brief measures that educators and researchers can use as tools to examine the undergraduate motivational experience in science classes. To identify key motivational processes, we drew on self-determination theory (SDT), which holds that students have fundamental needs - to feel competent, related, and autonomous - that fuel their intrinsic motivation. When educational experiences meet these needs, students engage more energetically and learn more, cumulatively contributing to a positive identity as a scientist. Based on information provided by 1013 students from 8 classes in biology, chemistry, and physics, we constructed conceptually focused and psychometrically sound survey measures of three sets of motivational factors: (1) students' appraisals of their own competence, autonomy, and relatedness; (2) the quality of students' behavioural and emotional engagement in academic work; and (3) students' emerging identities as scientists, including their science identity, purpose in science, and science career plans. Using an iterative confirmatory process, we tested short item sets for unidimensionality and internal consistency, and then cross-validated them. Tests of measurement invariance showed that scales were generally comparable across disciplines. Most importantly, scales and final course grades showed correlations consistent with predictions from SDT. These measures may provide a window on the student motivational experience for educators, researchers, and interventionists who aim to improve the quality of undergraduate science teaching and learning.

Career Education at the College Level: A Modest Proposal.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reschke, Claus

Foreign language programs in America have not tried to meet the specific needs of undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in professional schools who are preparing for an international career in law, marketing, accounting, hotel management, or engineering. These students need to be able to use the language in the performance of their…

Exploring the Transformational Learning Experiences of Bahamian Students Studying in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunter-Johnson, Yvonne; Newton, Norissa

2016-01-01

Within recent years, there has been a trend of students (traditional and nontraditional) travelling abroad, more particularly to the United States, with the view of pursuing higher education at both the graduate and undergraduate level. Among the most popular influential factors to obtain higher education internationally are government and private…

Information Technology Team Projects in Higher Education: An International Viewpoint

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lynch, Kathy; Heinze, Aleksej; Scott, Elsje

2007-01-01

It is common to find final or near final year undergraduate Information Technology students undertaking a substantial development project; a project where the students have the opportunity to be fully involved in the analysis, design, and development of an information technology service or product. This involvement has been catalyzed and prepared…

Cheating by Economics and Business Undergraduate Students: An Exploratory International Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Teixeira, Aurora A. C.; Rocha, Maria Fatima

2010-01-01

Today's economics and business students are expected to be our future business people and potentially the economic leaders and politicians of tomorrow. Thus, their beliefs and practices are liable to affect the definition of acceptable economics and business ethics. The empirical evaluation of the phenomenon of cheating in academia has almost…

IELTS Preparation Course and Student IELTS Performance: A Case Study in Hong Kong

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhengdong, Gan

2009-01-01

Since the University Grants Committee (UGC) selected the academic module of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) as the common English proficiency assessment for graduating undergraduate degree students in 2002, almost all the tertiary institutions in Hong Kong have offered IELTS preparation courses that aim at providing…

The "Statecraft" Simulation and Foreign Policy Attitudes among Undergraduate Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saiya, Nilay

2016-01-01

Professors of international relations are increasingly realizing that simulations can be a fun and effective way of teaching the complexities of the field to their students. One popular simulation that has emerged in recent years--the "Statecraft" simulation--is now used by more than 190 colleges and universities worldwide. Despite…

Student Perceptions of a Role-Playing Simulation in an Introductory International Relations Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Giovanello, Sean P.; Kirk, Jason A.; Kromer, Mileah K.

2013-01-01

An emerging assumption in undergraduate political science education is that role-playing simulations are an effective teaching tool. While previous studies have addressed the pedagogical advantages of simulations as compared to more traditional teaching techniques, less attention has been paid to student perceptions of these simulations. This…

Improving Intercultural Competence in the Classroom: A Reflective Development Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feng, Jing Betty

2016-01-01

To meet the increased demand for international business education that prepares college students for studying, living, or working overseas, I propose a four-stage reflective development model to be used in the traditional classroom context to enhance intercultural competence for undergraduate students. I employ the model in a personal development…

Academic Perspectives on the Outcomes of Outward Student Mobility

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bridger, Kath

2015-01-01

This research project was commissioned by the UK Higher Education International Unit (IU) and the Higher Education Academy (HEA) in June 2014 to explore academic perspectives on the outcomes of outward mobility at undergraduate, postgraduate and research levels for UK domiciled students, and to consider how best to facilitate the take up as well…

Self-Perceived Employability: Construction and Initial Validation of a Scale for University Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rothwell, Andrew; Herbert, Ian; Rothwell, Frances

2008-01-01

This paper reports the development of a research instrument to examine the expectations and self-perceptions of employability of business undergraduates (bachelor degree students) in three UK universities, and examines relationships with other measures. The scale was found to have a satisfactory internal reliability coefficient for an untested…

High-speed Internet Use and Academic Gratifications in the College Residence.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matthews, Denise; Schrum, Lynne

2003-01-01

A multimethod exploration of undergraduates' high-speed Internet use in residence halls took a uses-and-gratifications approach and revealed Internet use as integral to students' lives. Students' negative comments about Internet distractions from academic work led to identification of an individual difference variable, internal locus of control of…

Knowledge and Perceptions of Pharmacy Students in Qatar on Anti-Doping in Sports and on Sports Pharmacy in Undergraduate Curricula.

PubMed

Awaisu, Ahmed; Mottram, David; Rahhal, Alaa; Alemrayat, Bayan; Ahmed, Afif; Stuart, Mark; Khalifa, Sherief

2015-10-25

Objective. To assess pharmacy students' knowledge and perceptions of doping and anti-doping in sports and to explore the curricular needs for undergraduate pharmacy in the field of sports pharmacy. Methods. A cross-sectional, descriptive, web-based survey of pharmacy students was conducted at Qatar University College of Pharmacy from March to May 2014. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results. Eighty respondents completed the online survey (80% response rate). Sixty percent were unaware of the World Anti-Doping Agency, and 85% were unaware of the International Pharmaceutical Federation's statement on the pharmacist's role in anti-doping. Students' knowledge score regarding the prohibited status of drugs that may be used by athletes was around 50%. Fourth-year pharmacy students had significantly higher knowledge scores than the other groups of students. Respondents acknowledged the important role of health care professionals, including pharmacists, as advisors on the safe and effective use of drugs in sports. Ninety percent of the students supported the inclusion of sports pharmacy in the curriculum. Conclusion. Pharmacy students indicated a strong desire to play a role in doping prevention and ensure safe and rational use of drugs among athletes. They suggested requiring an education and training strategy for sports pharmacy in undergraduate pharmacy curricula.

The Impact of AP and IB Programs on High Stakes College Admissions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chodl, Joseph

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact on undergraduate college admissions decisions at selective U.S. colleges and universities of student enrolment in the Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) programs of international schools. A total of 30 interviews were conducted by the researcher with admissions personnel…

The Implementation of Mock Negotiations in Teaching International Business Management.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raffield, Barney T., III

Mock negotiations are used as part of an undergraduate course in international business management at Lebanon Valley College (Pennsylvania) in order to introduce students to the process of negotiating for advantage in foreign countries and to emphasize the importance of an individual nation's customs, culture, and ways of transacting business in…

Demonstrating Experimenter "Ineptitude" as a Means of Teaching Internal and External Validity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Treadwell, Kimberli R.H.

2008-01-01

Internal and external validity are key concepts in understanding the scientific method and fostering critical thinking. This article describes a class demonstration of a "botched" experiment to teach validity to undergraduates. Psychology students (N = 75) completed assessments at the beginning of the semester, prior to and immediately following…

The Culture of Learning Continuum: Promoting Internal Values in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sagy, Ornit; Kali, Yael; Tsaushu, Masha; Tal, Tali

2018-01-01

This study endeavors to identify ways to promote a productive learning culture in higher education. Specifically, we sought to encourage development of internal values in students' culture of learning and examine how this can promote their understanding of scientific content. Set in a high enrollment undergraduate biology course, we designed a…

Investigating Undergraduate Business Internships: Do Supervisor and Self-Evaluations Differ?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marks, Melanie Beth; Haug, James C.; Hu, Huiwen

2018-01-01

The authors analyze consistency between supervisors' and interns' self-evaluations based on interns' gender, time of completion (summer or academic year), and sponsor (on-campus department or off campus). Students, in general, tended to have lower ratings for computer skills, relative to supervisors, suggesting that they do not appreciate the…

Pathways Intern Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huggett, Daniel James

2017-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) provides a formal training program for prospective employees titled, Pathways Intern Employment. The Pathways program targets graduate and undergraduate students who strive to become an active contributor to NASA's goal of space exploration. The report herein provides an account of Daniel Huggett's Pathways experience for the Spring and Summer 2017 semesters.

The Impact of Problem-Based Learning on Non-Science Undergraduate Students' Attitudes towards Mathematics in an Egyptian Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rizkallah, Mohammed W.

While Problem-based Learning (PBL) has been established in the literature in different contexts, there remains few studies on how PBL has an impact on students' attitude towards mathematics and their conceptual understanding of it in Egyptian classrooms. This study was conducted in an international university in Egypt, and the participants were non-science undergraduate students who took a course called "Fun with Problem-Solving" as a requirement core class. The study shows that students' attitude towards mathematics developed throughout the course, and this was tested using the Fennema-Sherman Mathematics Attitude Scale, where students had a pretest and posttest. While the sample size was small, there was statistical significance in the change of the means of how students perceived mathematics as a male domain, and how teachers perceived students' achievements. This notion was coupled with students' development of conceptual understanding, which was tracked throughout the semester by mapping students' work with the Lesh Translation Model.

College life is stressful today - Emerging stressors and depressive symptoms in college students.

PubMed

Acharya, Lala; Jin, Lan; Collins, William

2018-03-22

The study identified important stressors associated with depressive symptoms in college students across the subgroups of gender and domestic/international status, and compared between-group differences across stress levels. Data were collected from 631 undergraduate students from October 2014 to March 2015. Participants completed an online survey containing measures of stressors (Student-Stress-Survey), depressive symptoms (CES-D scale), and demographics. The mean CES-D score (16.24) of sample indicated high depressive symptoms. International students reported higher depressive symptoms than domestic students and students identifying as female showed higher depression symptoms than male. Eight most frequently occurring stressors experienced by over 50% of the sample were identified as important; differences in stress levels across gender and domestic/international status were discussed. This renewed look reinforced that tailored and sustained efforts are needed to address the continued prevalence of different stressors and associated depressive symptoms faced by college students on US campuses.

The relationship between learning preferences (styles and approaches) and learning outcomes among pre-clinical undergraduate medical students.

PubMed

Liew, Siaw-Cheok; Sidhu, Jagmohni; Barua, Ankur

2015-03-11

Learning styles and approaches of individual undergraduate medical students vary considerably and as a consequence, their learning needs also differ from one student to another. This study was conducted to identify different learning styles and approaches of pre-clinical, undergraduate medical students and also to determine the relationships of learning preferences with performances in the summative examinations. A cross-sectional study was conducted among randomly selected 419 pre-clinical, undergraduate medical students of the International Medical University (IMU) in Kuala Lumpur. The number of students from Year 2 was 217 while that from Year 3 was 202. The Visual, Auditory, Read/Write, Kinesthetic (VARK) and the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST) questionnaires were used for data collection. This study revealed that 343 students (81.9%) had unimodal learning style, while the remaining 76 (18.1%) used a multimodal learning style. Among the unimodal learners, a majority (30.1%) were of Kinesthetic (K) type. Among the middle and high achievers in summative examinations, a majority had unimodal (Kinaesthetic) learning style (30.5%) and were also strategic/deep learners (79.4%). However, the learning styles and approaches did not contribute significantly towards the learning outcomes in summative examinations. A majority of the students in this study had Unimodal (Kinesthetic) learning style. The learning preferences (styles and approaches) did not contribute significantly to the learning outcomes. Future work to re-assess the viability of these learning preferences (styles and approaches) after the incorporation of teaching-learning instructions tailored specifically to the students will be beneficial to help medical teachers in facilitating students to become more capable learners.

Using HeLa cell stress response to introduce first year students to the scientific method, laboratory techniques, primary literature, and scientific writing.

PubMed

Resendes, Karen K

2015-01-01

Incorporating scientific literacy into inquiry driven research is one of the most effective mechanisms for developing an undergraduate student's strength in writing. Additionally, discovery-based laboratories help develop students who approach science as critical thinkers. Thus, a three-week laboratory module for an introductory cell and molecular biology course that couples inquiry-based experimental design with extensive scientific writing was designed at Westminster College to expose first year students to these concepts early in their undergraduate career. In the module students used scientific literature to design and then implement an experiment on the effect of cellular stress on protein expression in HeLa cells. In parallel the students developed a research paper in the style of the undergraduate journal BIOS to report their results. HeLa cells were used to integrate the research experience with the Westminster College "Next Chapter" first year program, in which the students explored the historical relevance of HeLa cells from a sociological perspective through reading The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. In this report I detail the design, delivery, student learning outcomes, and assessment of this module, and while this exercise was designed for an introductory course at a small primarily undergraduate institution, suggestions for modifications at larger universities or for upper division courses are included. Finally, based on student outcomes suggestions are provided for improving the module to enhance the link between teaching students skills in experimental design and execution with developing student skills in information literacy and writing. © 2015 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Academic challenges and positive aspects: perceptions of male nursing students.

PubMed

Abushaikha, L; Mahadeen, A; AbdelKader, R; Nabolsi, M

2014-06-01

Nursing shortage remains a global issue that emphasizes the need for both male and female nurses. Understanding the educational experiences of male nursing students may help in recruiting and retaining male nurses in the nursing profession. The aim of this study was to explore the challenges and positive aspects that undergraduate male nursing students encounter during the course of their study. A qualitative research design using inductive content analysis approach was used to explore perceptions of 20 undergraduate male nursing students in a baccalaureate nursing programme at a major public university in Jordan. Content analysis revealed two major themes: challenges (academic difficulties, biased policies, no social life, negative views of nursing and negative self-view) and positive aspects (personal benefits of studying nursing, every home need a nurse and nursing is a science). The findings added new insights and knowledge regarding the educational experiences of undergraduate male nursing students in a developing country, which is an understudied population. Understanding the challenges and positive aspects of nursing education from the perspectives of undergraduate male nursing students may help nursing educators better understand their students' educational experiences and help clarify their roles and responsibilities in dealing with these issues. Nursing as a career should continue to be a viable choice for both male and female students to address global nursing shortages. This can be ensured by decreasing challenges and supporting positive aspects that nursing students face during their nursing education. Higher education policy makers can use the findings of this study to appreciate the challenges that university students face. They can also reconsider existing policies that may hinder the acceptance of male student into nursing programmes and contribute to educational challenges. © 2014 International Council of Nurses.

The Dominance Concept Inventory: A Tool for Assessing Undergraduate Student Alternative Conceptions about Dominance in Mendelian and Population Genetics

PubMed Central

Perez, Kathryn E.; Price, Rebecca M.

2014-01-01

Despite the impact of genetics on daily life, biology undergraduates understand some key genetics concepts poorly. One concept requiring attention is dominance, which many students understand as a fixed property of an allele or trait and regularly conflate with frequency in a population or selective advantage. We present the Dominance Concept Inventory (DCI), an instrument to gather data on selected alternative conceptions about dominance. During development of the 16-item test, we used expert surveys (n = 12), student interviews (n = 42), and field tests (n = 1763) from introductory and advanced biology undergraduates at public and private, majority- and minority-serving, 2- and 4-yr institutions in the United States. In the final field test across all subject populations (n = 709), item difficulty ranged from 0.08 to 0.84 (0.51 ± 0.049 SEM), while item discrimination ranged from 0.11 to 0.82 (0.50 ± 0.048 SEM). Internal reliability (Cronbach's alpha) was 0.77, while test–retest reliability values were 0.74 (product moment correlation) and 0.77 (intraclass correlation). The prevalence of alternative conceptions in the field tests shows that introductory and advanced students retain confusion about dominance after instruction. All measures support the DCI as a useful instrument for measuring undergraduate biology student understanding and alternative conceptions about dominance. PMID:26086665

Sleep medicine education and knowledge among undergraduate dental students in Middle East universities.

PubMed

Talaat, Wael; AlRozzi, Balsam; Kawas, Sausan Al

2016-01-02

The aim of this study was to assess the undergraduate dental education in sleep medicine in Middle East universities as well as the students' knowledge in this field. A cross-sectional observational study was carried out during the period from September 2013 to April 2014.Two different questionnaires were used. A self-administered questionnaire and a cover letter were emailed and distributed to 51 randomly selected Middle East dental schools to gather information about their undergraduate sleep medicine education offered in the academic year 2012-2013.The second questionnaire was distributed to the fifth-year dental students in the 2nd Sharjah International Dental Student Conference in April 2014, to assess their knowledge on sleep medicine. A survey to assess knowledge of sleep medicine in medical education (Modified ASKME Survey) was used. Thirty-nine out of 51 (76%) responded to the first questionnaire. Out of the responding schools, only nine schools (23%) reported the inclusion of sleep medicine in their undergraduate curriculum. The total average hours dedicated to teaching sleep medicine in the responding dental schools was 1.2 hours. In the second questionnaire, 29.2% of the respondents were in the high score group, whereas 70.8% scored low in knowledge of sleep-related breathing disorders. Dental students in Middle East universities receive a weak level of sleep medicine education resulting in poor knowledge in this field.

Sleep medicine education and knowledge among undergraduate dental students in Middle East universities.

PubMed

Talaat, Wael; AlRozzi, Balsam; Kawas, Sausan Al

2016-05-01

The aim of this study was to assess the undergraduate dental education in sleep medicine in Middle East universities as well as the students' knowledge in this field. A cross-sectional observational study was carried out during the period from September 2013 to April 2014.Two different questionnaires were used. A self-administered questionnaire and a cover letter were emailed and distributed to 51 randomly selected Middle East dental schools to gather information about their undergraduate sleep medicine education offered in the academic year 2012-2013.The second questionnaire was distributed to the fifth-year dental students in the 2nd Sharjah International Dental Student Conference in April 2014, to assess their knowledge on sleep medicine. A survey to assess knowledge of sleep medicine in medical education (Modified ASKME Survey) was used. Thirty-nine out of 51 (76%) responded to the first questionnaire. Out of the responding schools, only nine schools (23%) reported the inclusion of sleep medicine in their undergraduate curriculum. The total average hours dedicated to teaching sleep medicine in the responding dental schools was 1.2 hours. In the second questionnaire, 29.2% of the respondents were in the high score group, whereas 70.8% scored low in knowledge of sleep-related breathing disorders. Dental students in Middle East universities receive a weak level of sleep medicine education resulting in poor knowledge in this field.

Using a pedagogical approach to integrate evidence-based teaching in an undergraduate women's health course.

PubMed

Dawley, Katy; Bloch, Joan Rosen; Suplee, Patricia Dunphy; McKeever, Amy; Scherzer, Gerri

2011-06-01

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is promoted as a foundation for nursing practice. However, the 2005 U.S. survey of nurses revealed that they do not have requisite skills for EBP. PURPOSE AND GOALS: To evaluate a pedagogical approach aimed at (1) fostering undergraduate nursing students EBP competencies, and (2) identifying gaps in the literature to direct future women's health research. A secondary analysis of data abstracted from required EBP clinical journals for an undergraduate women's health course in which students (n = 198) were asked to find evidence to answer their clinical questions. Content analysis was used to identify main themes of the topics of inquiry. Students identified 1,808 clinical questions and 30.3% (n = 547) of these could not be answered or supported by evidence in the literature. This assignment was an important teaching and assessment tool for EBP. Questions reflected critical thinking and quest for in-depth knowledge to support nursing practice. Some students lacked skills in searching databases and a significant number of knowledge gaps were identified that can direct women's health research. Copyright ©2010 Sigma Theta Tau International.

Interns' knowledge of clinical pharmacology and therapeutics after undergraduate and on-going internship training in Nigeria: a pilot study

PubMed Central

Oshikoya, Kazeem A; Senbanjo, Idowu O; Amole, Olufemi O

2009-01-01

Background A sound knowledge of pathophysiology of a disease and clinical pharmacology and therapeutics (CPT) of a drug is required for safe and rational prescribing. The aim of this study was therefore to assess how adequately the undergraduate CPT teaching had prepared interns in Nigeria for safe and rational prescribing and retrospectively, to know how they wanted the undergraduate curriculum to be modified so as to improve appropriate prescribing. The effect of internship training on the prescribing ability of the interns was also sought. Methods A total of 100 interns were randomly selected from the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja; Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idiaraba; General Hospital Lagos (GHL); the EKO Hospital, Ikeja; and Havana Specialist Hospital, Surulere. A structured questionnaire was the instrument of study. The questionnaire sought information about the demographics of the interns, their undergraduate CPT teaching, experience of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and drug interactions since starting work, confidence in drug usage and, in retrospect; any perceived deficiencies in their undergraduate CPT teaching. Results The response rate was 81%. All the respondents graduated from universities in Nigeria. The ability of the interns to prescribe rationally (66, 81.4%) and safely (47, 58%) was provided by undergraduate CPT teaching. Forty two (51.8%) respondents had problems with prescription writing. The interns would likely prescribe antibiotics (71, 87.6%), nonsteroidal analgesics (66, 81.4%), diuretics (55, 67.9%), sedatives (52, 62.9%), and insulin and oral hypoglycaemics (43, 53%) with confidence and unsupervised. The higher the numbers of clinical rotations done, the more confident were the respondents to prescribe unsupervised (χ2 = 19.98, P < 0.001). Similarly, respondents who had rotated through the four major clinical rotations and at least a special posting (χ2 = 11.57, P < 0.001) or four major clinical rotations only (χ2 = 11.25, P < 0.001) were significantly more confident to prescribe drugs unsupervised. Conclusion Undergraduate CPT teaching in Nigeria appears to be deficient. Principles of rational prescribing, drug dose calculation in children and pharmacovigilance should be the focus of undergraduate CPT teaching and should be taught both theoretically and practically. Medical students and interns should be periodically assessed on prescribing knowledge and skills during their training as a means of minimizing prescribing errors. PMID:19638199

A Community-Engaged Cardiovascular Health Disparities Research Training Curriculum: Implementation and Preliminary Outcomes

PubMed Central

Golden, Sherita Hill; Purnell, Tanjala; Halbert, Jennifer P.; Matens, Richard; Miller, Edgar R. “Pete”; Levine, David M.; Nguyen, Tam H.; Gudzune, Kimberly A.; Crews, Deidra C.; Mahlangu-Ngcobo, Mankekolo; Cooper, Lisa A.

2014-01-01

To overcome cardiovascular disease (CVD) disparities impacting high-risk populations, it is critical to train researchers and leaders in conducting community-engaged CVD disparities research. The authors summarize the key elements, implementation, and preliminary outcomes of the CVD Disparities Fellowship and Summer Internship Programs at the Johns Hopkins University Schools of Medicine, Nursing, and Bloomberg School of Public Health. In 2010, program faculty and coordinators established a trans-disciplinary CVD disparities training and career development fellowship program for scientific investigators who desire to conduct community-engaged clinical and translational disparities research. The program was developed to enhance mentorship support and research training for faculty, post-doctoral fellows, and pre-doctoral students interested in conducting CVD disparities research. A CVD Disparities Summer Internship Program for undergraduate and pre-professional students was also created to provide a broad experience in public health and health disparities in Baltimore, Maryland, with a focus on CVD. Since 2010, 39 pre-doctoral, post-doctoral, and faculty fellows have completed the program. Participating fellows have published disparities-related research and given presentations both nationally and internationally. Five research grant awards have been received by faculty fellows. Eight undergraduates, 1 post-baccalaureate, and 2 medical professional students representing seven universities have participated in the summer undergraduate internship. Over half of the undergraduate students are applying to or have been accepted into medical or graduate school. The tailored CVD health disparities training curriculum has been successful at equipping varying levels of trainees (from undergraduate students to faculty) with clinical research and public health expertise to conducting community-engaged CVD disparities research. PMID:25054421

Outcomes of an International Cooperative Education Experience for Undergraduate Nursing Students.

PubMed

Hoffart, Nancy; Diani, Jacqueline A; Carney, Mary F

2015-01-01

A qualitative study was conducted to identify the outcomes of international cooperative education in nursing. Seventeen alumni who completed 19 cooperative work experiences were interviewed. International cooperative experiences support learning about culture and contribute to personal and professional development. Outcomes included increased maturation, confidence, and flexibility; elevated political and global awareness; and ability to create effective relationships with culturally diverse patients and coworkers.

Implementing the recommended curriculum in biochemistry and molecular biology at a regional comprehensive university through a biology/chemistry double major: The minnesota state university moorhead experience*.

PubMed

Wallert, Mark; Brisch, Ellen; Chastain, Chris; Malott, Michelle; Provost, Joseph

2004-05-01

Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM) is a regional comprehensive university that is part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) system. The current student population consists of ∼7,600 full- and part-time students who are enrolled in one of 135 majors that lead to baccalaureate degrees. MSUM is committed to excellence in science teaching and research for undergraduates. It is an institutional member of the Council on Undergraduate Research and has three faculty members participating in Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL) Faculty for the 21st Century. Fourteen years ago, MSUM renewed its effort to have faculty participate in active research. All science faculty members hired since that time have been required to establish research programs. The primary purpose for the faculty engaging in ongoing research projects is to involve undergraduates in a meaningful research experience, thus training these students to become scientists. Copyright © 2004 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Success of non-traditional students in an undergraduate occupational therapy programme.

PubMed

Wheeler, NEIL

2001-01-01

An exit survey designed to examine the experiences of occupational therapy undergraduates was administered to 365 students in a four-year honours programme. The survey had a response rate of 51% (186). The survey was informed and supplemented by focus groups with international students and computer-mediated conferencing with community leaders from relevant ethnic minorities. Results showed that older students and those with non-traditional entry qualifications in this sample were as successful as school-leaver entrants (those with UK A Level qualifications). There were no significant differences between the support needs of the groups and previous experience did not have a beneficial or significant effect on support needs. Having to maintain part-time employment significantly increased the likelihood that students would consider withdrawing from the programme. For those who considered withdrawing but who went on to successful completion, the desire to practise occupational therapy following their successful experiences in the programme was a powerful motivator.

Learning from internships in gerontology and geriatrics: assessment and program evaluation.

PubMed

Karasik, Rona J

2009-01-01

Internships are an essential component of gerontological education. Harvesting the learning from internships, however, requires careful attention to assessing an intern's work. In addition to providing feedback to students, internship assessment can also yield data useful for academic program evaluation. Drawing on internship assessment data collected from undergraduate and graduate gerontology interns and their community preceptors over a period of seven semesters, this article explores (1) concerns regarding how to assess what interns are learning, (2) ways to provide students with additional opportunities for learning from their internships, and (3) how information from these student-learning outcomes may be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the overall academic program.

Students entering internship show readiness in the nutrition care process.

PubMed

Baker, S D; Cotugna, N

2013-10-01

The British Dietetic Association and the International Confederation of Dietetic Associations are developing an international model for dietetics practice as an aid in providing evidence-based practice. In the USA, undergraduate programmes are mandated by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association) to incorporate the nutrition care process (NCP) into the curriculum so that students can use the process during their dietetic internship and later practice. The present study aimed to assess interns' readiness in the NCP prior to beginning a dietetic internship. Before starting the internship, the 40 interns in the 2009-2010 class of a university-based internship were sent an e-mail requesting they complete an online survey. Questions inquired about their NCP background with respect to: academic preparation, work or volunteer experiences, knowledge and confidence in ability to apply the NCP. Survey results were analysed with SPSS statistical software (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). The 39 interns completing the survey indicated they had prior exposure to the NCP. All but one reported that their academic coursework covered the NCP. Approximately half of the interns worked or volunteered in settings that used the NCP. Overall, students correctly answered most of the questions assessing their basic knowledge in the NCP. Thirty-seven of the 39 interns had some confidence or felt confident in their ability to apply the NCP during internship rotations. This distance internship attracts students from all over the USA, and so the findings of the present study shed light on current undergraduate preparation in the NCP. © 2013 The Authors Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics © 2013 The British Dietetic Association Ltd.

Increasing Diversity in Global Climate Change Research for Undergraduates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, L. P.; Marchese, P.; Carlson, B. E.; Howard, A. M.; Peteet, D. M.; Rosenzweig, C.; Druyan, L. M.; Fulakeza, M.; Gaffin, S.; Austin, S. A.; Cheung, T. D.; Damas, M. C.; Boxe, C.; Prince, T.; Ng, C.; Frost, J.

2014-12-01

Global Climate Change and the ability to predict the effects of forcings and feedback mechanisms on global and local climate are critical to the survival of the inhabitants of planet Earth. It is therefore important to motivate students to continue their studies towards advanced degrees and pursue careers related to climate change. This is best accomplished by involving undergraduates in global climate change research. This Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) initiative is based at the City University of New York (CUNY) and the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), and is supported by NASA and NSF. Mentors for the primarily summer research experiences include CUNY faculty and GISS scientists. Research topics include the Wetland Carbon Project, The Cooling Power Of Urban Vegetation, Internal Ocean Mixing, El Niño Southern Oscillation, Pollution Transport and Tropospheric Ozone. Students are recruited from CUNY colleges and other colleges and universities. The program maintains an emphasis on under-represented minorities and females. Approximately sixty percent of the undergraduate students are under-represented minorities and forty percent are female. The project is supported by NSF award AGS-1359293 REU Site: CUNY/GISS Center for Global Climate Research.

Time and space: undergraduate Mexican physics in motion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Candela, Antonia

2010-09-01

This is an ethnographic study of the trajectories and itineraries of undergraduate physics students at a Mexican university. In this work learning is understood as being able to move oneself and, other things (cultural tools), through the space-time networks of a discipline (Nespor in Knowledge in motion: space, time and curriculum in undergraduate physics and management. Routledge Farmer, London, 1994). The potential of this socio-cultural perspective allows an analysis of how students are connected through extended spaces and times with an international core discipline as well as with cultural features related to local networks of power and construction. Through an example, I show that, from an actor-network-theory (Latour in Science in action. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 1987), that in order to understand the complexities of undergraduate physics processes of learning you have to break classroom walls and take into account students' movements through complex spatial and temporal traces of the discipline of physics. Mexican professors do not give classes following one textbook but in a moment-to-moment open dynamism tending to include undergraduate students as actors in classroom events extending the teaching space-time of the classroom to the disciplinary research work of physics. I also find that Mexican undergraduate students show initiative and display some autonomy and power in the construction of their itineraries as they are encouraged to examine a variety of sources including contemporary research articles, unsolved physics problems, and even to participate in several physicists' spaces, as for example being speakers at the national congresses of physics. Their itineraries also open up new spaces of cultural and social practices, creating more extensive networks beyond those associated with a discipline. Some economic, historical and cultural contextual features of this school of sciences are analyzed in order to help understanding the particular way students are encouraged to develop their autonomy.

Exploring the Relationship between Experiential Avoidance, Alcohol Use Disorders, and Alcohol-Related Problems among First-Year College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levin, Michael E.; Lillis, Jason; Seeley, John; Hayes, Steven C.; Pistorello, Jacqueline; Biglan, Anthony

2012-01-01

Objective: This study explored the relationship of experiential avoidance (eg, the tendency to avoid, suppress, or otherwise control internal experiences even when doing so causes behavioral harm) to alcohol use disorders and alcohol-related problems. Participants: Cross-sectional data were collected from 240 undergraduate college students in…

Introducing Blended Learning: An Experience of Uncertainty for Students in the United Arab Emirates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kemp, Linzi J.

2013-01-01

The cultural dimension of Uncertainty Avoidance is analysed in this study of an introduction to blended learning for international students. Content analysis was conducted on the survey narratives collected from three cohorts of management undergraduates in the United Arab Emirates. Interpretation of certainty with blended learning was found in:…

Definition of Intercultural Competence According to Undergraduate Students at an International University in Germany

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Odag, Özen; Wallin, Hannah R.; Kedzior, Karina K.

2016-01-01

University graduates are required to possess intercultural competence in addition to strong academic skills in today's globalized world. Although such competence has been defined in various theoretical models by intercultural scholars, it remains unknown how the recipients of higher education (the students) define this concept. A total of 130…

Predicting Grades from an English Language Assessment: The Importance of Peeling the Onion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bridgeman, Brent; Cho, Yeonsuk; DiPietro, Stephen

2016-01-01

Data from 787 international undergraduate students at an urban university in the United States were used to demonstrate the importance of separating a sample into meaningful subgroups in order to demonstrate the ability of an English language assessment to predict the first-year grade point average (GPA). For example, when all students were pooled…

Psychological Growth, Cosmopolitanism, and Selection of Students for Cross-Cultural Educational Programs. Occasional Papers on Undergraduate Study Abroad.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McEvoy, Theodore L.

It is suggested that greater attention be given to psychological development assessment in the selection of students for cross-cultural exchange programs. To date little effort has been made to evaluate such program objectives as: (1) fostering international understanding, and (2) attainment of educational experiences not available domestically.…

A Shorter Short Version of Barron's Ego Strength Scale

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelly, William E.; Daughtry, Don

2018-01-01

This study developed an abbreviated form of Barron's (1953) Ego Strength Scale for use in research among college student samples. A version of Barron's scale was administered to 100 undergraduate college students. Using item-total score correlations and internal consistency, the scale was reduced to 18 items (Es18). The Es18 possessed adequate…

How Former Division I Student-Athletes Experienced Their Dual Undergraduate Roles: The Internal Competition for an Identity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tabano, James G.

2013-01-01

Identity research requires a multidisciplinary approach for a comprehensive understanding. Even with acceptance of multiple perspectives, one is left with ambiguous terminology and indiscrete concepts (Ashmore, Deaux, & McLaughlin-Volpe, 2004). The inquiry into the identity of a nontraditional college population such as student-athletes is no…

Cross-Cultural and Global Interdependency Development in STEM Undergraduate Students: Results from Singapore Study Abroad Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alexis, Frank; Casco, M.; Martin, J.; Zhang, G.

2017-01-01

The goal of study abroad programs is to educate and train future global leaders. This article examines the effectiveness of Clemson University's Singapore Study Abroad program in meeting this goal by exposing students to global perspectives of science technology, engineering and math (STEM) research and learning through an international summer…

How do we facilitate international clinical placements for nursing students: A cross-sectional exploration of the structure, aims and objectives of placements.

PubMed

Browne, Caroline A; Fetherston, Catherine M

2018-07-01

International clinical placements provide undergraduate students with a unique and complex clinical learning environment, to explore cultural awareness, experience different health care settings and achieve clinical competencies. Higher education institutions need to consider how to structure these placements to ensure appropriate and achievable aims and learning outcomes. In this study we described the structure, aims and learning outcomes associated with international clinical placement opportunities currently undertaken by Australian undergraduate nursing students in the Asia region. Forty eight percent (n = 18) of the institutions invited responded. Eight institutions met the inclusion criteria, one of which offered three placements in the region, resulting in 10 international placements for which data were provided. An online survey tool was used to collect data during August and September 2015 on international clinical placements conducted by the participating universities. Descriptive data on type and numbers of placements is presented, along with results from the content analysis conducted to explore data from open ended questions on learning aims and outcomes. One hundred students undertook 10 International Clinical Placements offered in the Asian region by eight universities. Variations across placements were found in the length of placement, the number of students participating, facilitator to student ratios and assessment techniques used. Five categories related to the aims of the programs were identified: 'becoming culturally aware through immersion', 'working with the community to promote health', 'understanding the role of nursing within the health care setting', 'translating theory into professional clinical practice', and 'developing relationships in international learning environments'. Four categories related to learning outcomes were identified: 'understanding healthcare and determinants of health', 'managing challenges', 'understanding the role of culture within healthcare' and 'demonstrating professional knowledge, skills and behaviour'. International clinical placements in the Asia region appear to vary greatly from one education institution to the next with no clear consensus from either this study's findings or the literature on which structure, support and assessments lead to greater student learning. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of Internal and External Focus of Attention on Novices' Rehearsal Evaluations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Silvey, Brian A.; Montemayor, Mark

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of internal and external focus of attention on novices' rehearsal evaluations. Thirty-two undergraduate instrumental music education students led bands in a series of three 6-minute rehearsals on their assigned excerpt. Prior to these rehearsals, participants were led in score study and…

Development in Dialogic Teaching Skills: A Micro-Analytic Case Study of a Pre-Service ITA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rine, Emily F.

2009-01-01

As universities have come to depend increasingly on international, non-native English-speaking graduate students to teach many of the undergraduate courses, they have created International Teaching Assistant (ITA) programs in order to provide ITAs with the cultural, pedagogical, and linguistic skills needed to instruct in an American university…

The Effect of Locus of Control on Message Acceptance and Recall.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cole, Catherine A.; Singh, Surendra

Locus of control is a personality trait that influences human behavior in many situations. Internal-external control reactions to a persuasive message and the recall of the message were examined in two studies. In the first study, 35 undergraduate students' locus of control was measured using Duttweiler's Internal Control Measure. On the basis of…

Effects of Internal and External Focus of Attention during Novices' Instructional Preparation on Subsequent Rehearsal Behaviors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Montemayor, Mark; Silvey, Brian A.; Adams, Amy L.; Witt, Kay L.

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of internal versus external focus of attention during novice teachers' instructional preparation on their subsequent rehearsal behaviors. Thirty-two undergraduate instrumental music education students led bands in a series of three, 6-minute rehearsals on their assigned excerpt. Prior to…

The Role of Internalized Stereotyping, Parental Pressure, and Parental Support on Asian Americans' Choice of College Major

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shen, Frances C.

2015-01-01

The author explored the relationship between internalized stereotyping, parental pressure, and parental support on major choices among 315 Asian American undergraduate and graduate students. Results indicated that parental support, but not parental pressure, toward certain majors was associated with more stereotypical major choices. In addition,…

Managing Transformation: How Do Undergraduate Students Experience the Process of Reentry after International Service Learning?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hetzell, Leah B.

2017-01-01

As calls for institutions of higher education to educate globally competent citizens have intensified over the last two decades, the field of international service learning (ISL) has responded resoundingly. ISL programs have been implemented at many institutions and there have been countless studies that demonstrate the great power for student…

Effects of International Student Counselors' Broaching Statements about Cultural and Language Differences on Participants' Perceptions of the Counselors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Choi, Gahee; Mallinckrodt, Brent; Richardson, John D.

2015-01-01

Undergraduates (N = 135) evaluated 1 of 4 simulated 1st counseling sessions. Two international counselors (Canadian and Korean) alternated between making or not making broaching statements about their language and cultural differences. Significant main effects for counselor nationality and interaction effects between counselor nationality and…

The Challenges of Collaborative Learning across the Border--Canada and the United States: Divergent Paths/Intertwined Futures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parham, Claire Puccia

2014-01-01

For The past two years, Siena College and Loyola International College for Diversity and Sustainability (LCDS), formerly Loyola International College, have jointly taught a comparative Canadian/ U.S. history class. Concordia University, an English language university, has more than 46,000 students and offers 433 undergraduate and graduate…

Between Two Languages and Two Worlds: Identity of Korean Early Study-Abroad Undergraduates in the U.S

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Mun Woo

2010-01-01

Along with "English fever" (Krashen, 2003) in South Korea, the number of Korean students in the U.S. has increased every year so that they are now the largest group of international students in the U.S. Among those Korean students in the U.S, the early study-abroad group is particularly noteworthy because they share the unique experience…

KSC-2014-3032

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-06-27

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana talks to student interns during an event at the KARS Park I facility near the center. High school, undergraduate and graduate students participate in a team building exercise and received advice on leadership skills and working together from Kennedy's senior management. About 160 students are working and gaining experience in many of the directorates and programs during their time at Kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/Daniel Casper

Problem-based learning in internal medicine: virtual patients or paper-based problems?

PubMed

Sobocan, Monika; Turk, Neja; Dinevski, Dejan; Hojs, Radovan; Pecovnik Balon, Breda

2017-01-01

Teaching using paper problem-based learning (p-PBL) sessions has left some students fatigued with the learning process. Therefore, attempts have been made to replace p-PBL with digitally enhanced, decision-making PBL in the form of virtual patients (VP). Student enthusiasm for substituting p-PBL with VP has not been quantitatively evaluated on the intended educational effects. To determine the educational effects of substituting p-PBL sessions with VP on undergraduate medical students in their internal medicine course. We conducted a randomised controlled study on 34 third-year undergraduate medical students in the academic year 2015-2016. Student performance after an intervention substituting p-PBL sessions with VP was analysed. The educational outcomes were measured with knowledge exams and the Diagnostic Thinking Inventory. There was no difference in exam performance between groups (P > 0.833) immediately after the intervention, or in long term. Nor was there a significant difference in improvement of diagnostic thinking between groups (P > 0.935 and P > 0.320). Our study showed no significant improvement in diagnostic thinking abilities or knowledge exam results with the use of VP. Educators can add VP to sessions to motivate students, but a significant improvement to educational outcome should not be expected. © 2016 Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

Stimulating the clinical academics of tomorrow: a survey of research opportunities for medical students in New Zealand.

PubMed

Al-Busaidi, Ibrahim S; Wells, Cameron I

2017-09-22

Developing the clinical academic workforce of the future is a priority of international relevance. Despite a number of measures implemented to address this challenge, a small proportion of medical students engage in research. Lack of knowledge of available research opportunities, and difficulty finding projects and suitable mentors are key barriers to undergraduate medical research. To date, there is no consolidated source of information on undergraduate research training opportunities and their outcomes available to medical students in New Zealand. Based on a comprehensive review of the published and grey literature and the authors' personal experiences of research training activities as medical students, this article presents an overview of the research training opportunities available to medical students in New Zealand. Challenges facing medical student research involvement are discussed and current knowledge gaps in the literature are highlighted. The article concludes with suggested strategies to help promote research training opportunities and support students through their research experience.

Using Collaborate Writing Groups in Undergraduate Courses to Improve Scientific Writing Skills and Confidence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maclachlan, J. C.; Feist, S.

2016-12-01

Communication of primary scientific research is an aspect of undergraduate teaching that rarely researches platforms outside of the classroom. One method to encourage the dissemination of scientific findings to an international audience is the implementation of Collaborative Writing Groups (CWG). This paper will discuss the development, implementation and successful results of two Collaborative Writing Group creating within two different senior undergraduate classes offered at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada through discussion of the implementation of the assignment coupled with challenges and opportunities the process provided. A key to the successful implementation of the CWG is a detailed timeline for the students to follow with achievable goals throughout the process. The eight-week process began with students creating groups and choosing a topic of interest. As groups form it became apparent the diversity of academic skills and interest within the classroom made selecting a research project all group members could agree on difficult. Throughout the course students were given time to not only review their colleagues writing but also have discussions on particularly challenging aspects of their research and help in providing solutions. While the timeline for this project was ambitious it was necessary to allow time for effective feedback on the scientific writing from both the students and the instructional team. Overall this process has produced 11 peer-reviewed undergraduate student written papers within two special editions of the journal Cartographica published by the University of Toronto Press (Maclachlan and Lee, 2015). The papers topics are quite diverse including: the modelling of glacier melt in Iceland; a look into the effects of urban sprawl; and an exploration of the spatial characteristics of dunes in southern Ontario. This encouragement of dissemination to an international audience will create an experience that promotes self-authorship and challenges students to evaluate their knowledge claims and take ownership of their ideas. Maclachlan, J.C. & Lee, R.E. 2015. Student Collaborative Writing Groups: Mapping Glacial Geomorphology and Glacial Sedimentology. Cartographica, 50(3), pp. 163-164

Assessment of an undergraduate psychiatry course in an African setting.

PubMed

Baig, Benjamin J; Beaglehole, Anna; Stewart, Robert C; Boeing, Leonie; Blackwood, Douglas H; Leuvennink, Johan; Kauye, Felix

2008-04-22

International reports recommend the improvement in the amount and quality of training for mental health workers in low and middle income countries. The Scotland-Malawi Mental Health Education Project (SMMHEP) has been established to support the teaching of psychiatry to medical students in the University of Malawi. While anecdotally supportive medical educational initiatives appear of value, little quantitative evidence exists to demonstrate whether such initiatives can deliver comparable educational standards. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of an undergraduate psychiatry course given by UK psychiatrists in Malawi by studying University of Malawi and Edinburgh University medical students' performance on an MCQ examination paper. An undergraduate psychiatry course followed by an MCQ exam was delivered by the SMMHEP to 57 Malawi medical students. This same MCQ exam was given to 71 Edinburgh University medical students who subsequently sat their own Edinburgh University examination. There were no significant differences between Edinburgh students' performance on the Malawi exam and their own Edinburgh University exam. (p = 0.65). This would suggest that the Malawi exam is a comparable standard to the Edinburgh exam. Malawi students marks ranged from 52.4%-84.6%. Importantly 84.4% of Malawi students scored above 60% on their exam which would equate to a hypothetical pass by UK university standards. The support of an undergraduate course in an African setting by high income country specialists can attain a high percentage pass rate by UK standards. Although didactic teaching has been surpassed by more novel educational methods, in resource poor countries it remains an effective and cost effective method of gaining an important educational standard.

Using yeast to determine the functional consequences of mutations in the human p53 tumor suppressor gene: An introductory course-based undergraduate research experience in molecular and cell biology.

PubMed

Hekmat-Scafe, Daria S; Brownell, Sara E; Seawell, Patricia Chandler; Malladi, Shyamala; Imam, Jamie F Conklin; Singla, Veena; Bradon, Nicole; Cyert, Martha S; Stearns, Tim

2017-03-04

The opportunity to engage in scientific research is an important, but often neglected, component of undergraduate training in biology. We describe the curriculum for an innovative, course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) appropriate for a large, introductory cell and molecular biology laboratory class that leverages students' high level of interest in cancer. The course is highly collaborative and emphasizes the analysis and interpretation of original scientific data. During the course, students work in teams to characterize a collection of mutations in the human p53 tumor suppressor gene via expression and analysis in yeast. Initially, student pairs use both qualitative and quantitative assays to assess the ability of their p53 mutant to activate expression of reporter genes, and they localize their mutation within the p53 structure. Through facilitated discussion, students suggest possible molecular explanations for the transactivation defects displayed by their p53 mutants and propose experiments to test these hypotheses that they execute during the second part of the course. They use a western blot to determine whether mutant p53 levels are reduced, a DNA-binding assay to test whether recognition of any of three p53 target sequences is compromised, and fluorescence microscopy to assay nuclear localization. Students studying the same p53 mutant periodically convene to discuss and interpret their combined data. The course culminates in a poster session during which students present their findings to peers, instructors, and the greater biosciences community. Based on our experience, we provide recommendations for the development of similar large introductory lab courses. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 45(2):161-178, 2017. © 2016 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

ZTF Undergraduate Astronomy Institute at Caltech and Pomona College

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Penprase, Bryan Edward; Bellm, Eric Christopher

2017-01-01

From the new Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF), an NSF funded project based at Caltech, comes a new initiative for undergraduate research known as the Summer Undergraduate Astronomy Institute. The Institute brings together 15-20 students from across the world for an immersive experience in astronomy techniques before they begin their summer research projects. The students are primarly based at Caltech in their SURF program but also includes a large cohort of students enrolled in research internships at Pomona College in nearby Claremont CA. The program is intended to introduce students to research techniques in astronomy, laboratory and computational technologies, and to observational astronomy. Since many of the students are previously computer science or physics majors with little astronomy experience, this immersive experience has been extremely helpful for enabling students to learn about the terminologies, techniques and technologies of astronomy. The field trips to the Mount Wilson and Palomar telescopes deepen their knowledge and excitement about astronomy. Lectures about astronomical research from Caltech staff scientists and graduate students also provide context for the student research. Perhaps more importantly, the creation of a cohort of like-minded students, and the chance to reflect about careers in astronomy and research, give these students opportunities to consider themselves as future research scientists and help them immensely as they move forward in their careers. We discuss some of the social and intercultural aspects of the experience as well, as our cohorts typically include international students from many countries and several students from under-represented groups in science.

Technical quality of root canal treatment performed by undergraduate students using hand instrumentation: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Ribeiro, D M; Réus, J C; Felippe, W T; Pacheco-Pereira, C; Dutra, K L; Santos, J N; Porporatti, A L; De Luca Canto, G

2018-03-01

The technical quality of root canal treatment (RCT) may impact on the outcome. The quality of education received during undergraduate school may be linked to the quality of treatment provided in general dental practice. In this context, the aim of this systematic review was to answer the following focused questions: (i) What is the frequency of acceptable technical quality of root fillings, assessed radiographically, performed by undergraduate students? (ii) What are the most common errors assessed radiographically and reported in these treatments? For this purpose, articles that evaluated the quality of root fillings performed by undergraduate students were selected. Data were collected based on predetermined criteria. The key features from the included studies were extracted. GRADE-tool assessed the quality of the evidence. MAStARI evaluated the methodological quality, and a meta-analysis on all studies was conducted. At the end of the screening, 24 articles were identified. Overall frequency of acceptable technical quality of root fillings was 48%. From this total, 52% related to anterior teeth, 49% to premolars and 26% to molars. The main procedural errors reported were ledge formation, furcation perforation, apical transportation and apical perforation. The heterogeneity amongst the studies was high (84-99%). Five studies had a high risk of bias, eight had a moderate risk, and 11 had low risk. The overall quality of evidence identified was very low. The conclusion was that technical quality of root fillings performed by undergraduate students is low, which may reveal that endodontic education has limited achievement at undergraduate level. A plan to improve the quality of root fillings, and by extrapolation the overall quality of root canal treatment, should be discussed by the staff responsible for endodontic education and training. © 2017 International Endodontic Journal. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Social Media and Population Health Virtual Exchange for Senior Nursing Students: An International Collaboration.

PubMed

Procter, Paula M; Brixey, Juliana J; Honey, Michelle L L; Todhunter, Fern

2016-01-01

The authors have all engaged in using social media with students as a means for collaboration across national and international boundaries for various educational purposes. Following the explosion of big data in health the authors are now moving this concept forward within undergraduate and postgraduate nursing curricula for the development of population health virtual exchanges. Nursing has a global presence and yet it appears as though students have little knowledge of the health and social care needs and provision outside their local environment. This development will allow for explorative exchange amongst students in three countries, enhancing their understanding of their own and the selected international population health needs and solutions through asking and responding to questions amongst the learning community involved. The connection of the students will be recorded for their use in reflection; of particular interest will be the use of information included by the students to answer questions about their locality.

Educational initiative for EE/RE engineering skills: Solar Two student interns. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Norbeck, J.M.

1997-07-01

The US Department of Energy sponsored five student interns from the University of California, Riverside, College of Engineering to work during the summer of 1996 at the Solar Two Energy facility in the Mojave Desert. Through the DOE intern program, engineering students supported the Solar Two Project under the supervision of engineers from Southern California Edison. The prime purpose was to provide outreach and educational support for expanding interactions with university students to increase awareness of careers in renewable energy and energy efficiency fields. The College of Engineering-Center for Environmental Research and Technology (CE-CERT) coordinated this project. CE-CERT is primarilymore » a research facility focusing on air pollution and energy efficiency. CE-CERT serves undergraduate and graduate students by employing them on research projects, supporting them in the research and experimentation required for Senior Design Projects, and sponsoring them in student engineering competitions.« less

Serving Community College Students: Student Preparation, Development and Growth through the REU Experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, C. S.; Osborn, J.; Smith, M.

2014-12-01

Effectively recruiting and engaging community college students in STEM research experiences is an increasingly important goal of the NSF but has not historically been the primary focus of most NSF-REU Site programs. The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship in Earth and Environmental Sciences (SURFEES) program at Chapman University, a primarily undergraduate institution in Southern California, is the site of the first NSF-REU program in the NSF's Division of Earth Sciences that selects participants exclusively from local partnering community colleges. Building on and now running parallel with a successful internally-funded summer research program already in place and available only to Chapman undergraduates, the SURFEES program incorporates specific mentor and participant pre-experience training, pre-, mid-, and post-assessment instruments, and programming targeted to the earth and environmental sciences as well as to community college students. Perhaps most importantly, the application, selection and pairing of student participants with faculty mentors was conducted with specific goals of identifying those applicants with the greatest potential for a transformative experience while also meeting self-defined targets of under-represented minority, female, and low-income participants. Initial assessment results of the first participant cohort from summer 2014 and lessons learned for creating/adapting an NSF-REU site to involve community college students will be discussed.

A course-based undergraduate research experience investigating p300 bromodomain mutations.

PubMed

Shanle, Erin K; Tsun, Ian K; Strahl, Brian D

2016-01-01

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) provide an opportunity for students to engage in experiments with outcomes that are unknown to both the instructor and students. These experiences allow students and instructors to collaboratively bridge the research laboratory and classroom, and provide research experiences for a large number of students relative to traditional individual mentored research. Here, we describe a molecular biology CURE investigating the impact of clinically relevant mutations found in the bromodomain of the p300 transcriptional regulator on acetylated histone interaction. In the CURE, students identified missense mutations in the p300 bromodomain using the Catalogue of Somatic Mutations in Cancer (COSMIC) database and hypothesized the effects of the mutation on the acetyl-binding function of the domain. They cloned and purified the mutated bromodomain and performed peptide pulldown assays to define its potential to bind to acetylated histones. Upon completion of the course, students showed increased confidence performing molecular techniques and reported positively on doing a research project in class. In addition, results generated in the classroom were further validated in the research laboratory setting thereby providing a new model for faculty to engage in both course-based and individual undergraduate research experiences. © 2015 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Investigation of social cognitive career theory for minority recruitment in school psychology.

PubMed

Bocanegra, Joel O; Gubi, Aaron A; Cappaert, Kevin J

2016-06-01

School psychology trainers have historically struggled to adequately increase the number of professionals from diverse backgrounds. An increase in diverse providers is important in meeting the needs of a burgeoning racial/ethnic minority student population. Previous research suggests that minority undergraduate psychology students have less knowledge and exposure to school psychology than for counseling and clinical psychology, and that students with greater exposure or knowledge of school psychology reported significantly greater choice intentions for school psychology. The purpose of this study is to test the applicability of the Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT; Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 1994) in explaining minority undergraduate psychology students' choice intentions for school psychology. This study is an analysis of existing data and is based on a national sample of 283 minority undergraduate psychology students. All instruments used in this study were found to have internal consistency ranging from .83 to .91. Students' learning experiences, self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and choice intentions for school psychology were evaluated by way of a mediator analysis. Results from a path analysis suggest that outcome expectations mediated the relationship between exposure and choice intentions for school psychology. Implications for minority recruitment practices are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

The association between levels of alcohol consumption and mental health problems and academic performance among young university students.

PubMed

Tembo, Chimwemwe; Burns, Sharyn; Kalembo, Fatch

2017-01-01

Mental health problems and harmful alcohol consumption have been found to be high among young university students compared to the general population in Australia. This research aimed to investigate the association between levels of drinking and mental health problems and academic performance among university students aged 18 to 24 years. This study used a quantitative cross-sectional design using data that were collected in 2014 as part of the Youth Alcohol Project (YAP). Participants were randomly drawn from a cross sectional sample of 6000 undergraduate students. Included in the study were only students who were within the age of 18-24, undergraduate, and internally enrolled at the main campus. A total of 2518 undergraduate students aged 18 to 24 years who were enrolled internally at Curtin University Bentley campus were randomly recruited. Data were collected through an online survey. Students were invited to participate in the study through their student email address. The email invitations coincided with the release of semester results to increase the likelihood of students accessing their emails. A further 628 students were randomly recruited through face to face intercept survey during the campus market days. Data were collected by trained research assistants. Validated instruments were used to collected data on levels of alcohol consumption, mental health, and academic performance. A considerable proportion of participants (44%) reported consuming alcohol at hazardous or harmful levels. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that students who were consuming alcohol at hazardous levels were 1.2 times more likely to report psychological distress than those with lower levels of alcohol consumption (aOR 1.2, 95% CI: 1.1-1.5). In addition, being late for class (aOR 1.7, 95% CI:1.1-2.4), missing classes (aOR = 2.6, 95% CI: 1.9-2.6), inability to concentrate in class (aOR = 2.6, 95% CI: 1.9-3.4), and inability to complete assignments (aOR = 3.5, 95% CI 2.0-6.0) independently predicted for moderate or hazardous alcohol consumption. The study shows that a considerable proportion of undergraduate students at university consume alcohol at hazardous or harmful levels. In addition, high levels of alcohol consumption are associated with poor academic performance and mental health outcomes among students. The results of the study warrant multi-strategy interventions that focus on policy, organisational, educational, environmental and economic strategies that will help to reduce alcohol related harms among university students.

The association between levels of alcohol consumption and mental health problems and academic performance among young university students

PubMed Central

Burns, Sharyn; Kalembo, Fatch

2017-01-01

Purpose Mental health problems and harmful alcohol consumption have been found to be high among young university students compared to the general population in Australia. This research aimed to investigate the association between levels of drinking and mental health problems and academic performance among university students aged 18 to 24 years. Methods This study used a quantitative cross-sectional design using data that were collected in 2014 as part of the Youth Alcohol Project (YAP). Participants were randomly drawn from a cross sectional sample of 6000 undergraduate students. Included in the study were only students who were within the age of 18–24, undergraduate, and internally enrolled at the main campus. A total of 2518 undergraduate students aged 18 to 24 years who were enrolled internally at Curtin University Bentley campus were randomly recruited. Data were collected through an online survey. Students were invited to participate in the study through their student email address. The email invitations coincided with the release of semester results to increase the likelihood of students accessing their emails. A further 628 students were randomly recruited through face to face intercept survey during the campus market days. Data were collected by trained research assistants. Validated instruments were used to collected data on levels of alcohol consumption, mental health, and academic performance. Results A considerable proportion of participants (44%) reported consuming alcohol at hazardous or harmful levels. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that students who were consuming alcohol at hazardous levels were 1.2 times more likely to report psychological distress than those with lower levels of alcohol consumption (aOR 1.2, 95% CI: 1.1–1.5). In addition, being late for class (aOR 1.7, 95% CI:1.1–2.4), missing classes (aOR = 2.6, 95% CI: 1.9–2.6), inability to concentrate in class (aOR = 2.6, 95% CI: 1.9–3.4), and inability to complete assignments (aOR = 3.5, 95% CI 2.0–6.0) independently predicted for moderate or hazardous alcohol consumption. Conclusion The study shows that a considerable proportion of undergraduate students at university consume alcohol at hazardous or harmful levels. In addition, high levels of alcohol consumption are associated with poor academic performance and mental health outcomes among students. The results of the study warrant multi-strategy interventions that focus on policy, organisational, educational, environmental and economic strategies that will help to reduce alcohol related harms among university students. PMID:28658300

The Lunar and Planetary Institute Summer Intern Program in Planetary Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kramer, G. Y.

2017-12-01

Since 1977, the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) Summer Intern Program brings undergraduate students from across the world to Houston for 10 weeks of their summer where they work one-on-one with a scientist at either LPI or Johnson Space Center on a cutting-edge research project in the planetary sciences. The program is geared for students finishing their sophomore and junior years, although graduating seniors may also apply. It is open to international undergraduates as well as students from the United States. Applicants must have at least 50 semester hours of credit (or equivalent sophomore status) and an interest in pursuing a career in the sciences. The application process is somewhat rigorous, requiring three letters of recommendation, official college transcripts, and a letter describing their background, interests, and career goals. The deadline for applications is in early January of that year of the internship. More information about the program and how to apply can be found on the LPI website: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/lpiintern/. Each advisor reads through the applications, looking for academically excellent students and those with scientific interest and backgrounds compatible with the advisor's specific project. Interns are selected fairly from the applicant pool - there are no pre-arranged agreements or selections based on who knows whom. The projects are different every year as new advisors come into the program, and existing ones change their research interest and directions. The LPI Summer Intern Program gives students the opportunity to participate in peer-reviewed research, learn from top-notch planetary scientists, and preview various careers in science. For many interns, this program was a defining moment in their careers - when they decided whether or not to follow an academic path, which direction they would take, and how. While past interns can be found all over the world and in a wide variety of occupations, all share the common bond of that summer in Houston.

Perceptions of Undergraduate Students and Faculty Regarding the Impact of Electronic Communication on the Written-Communication Skills of Undergraduate Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Houser, Laura Ann Camlet

2012-01-01

This narrative-qualitative study investigated the perceived impact that electronic communication has on the written-communication skills of undergraduate students. Open-ended survey questions queried the experiences of undergraduate students who use electronic communication, as well as the perceptions of faculty who teach undergraduate students.…

Voices from Around the World: International Undergraduate Student Experiences. Professional File Number 104, Summer 2007

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Terkla, Dawn Geronimo; Etish-Andrews, Jane; Roscoe, Heather S.

2007-01-01

This paper explores how students adjust to life at universities outside their home countries. Much of the current research was conducted prior to the 9/11 tragedy and focuses primarily on studies within a single U.S. institution. This project expands the boundaries by including multiple institutions from around the globe post-9/11. Findings…

What Is in Your Wallet? Quantitation of Drugs of Abuse on Paper Currency with a Rapid LC-MS/MS Method

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parker, Patrick D.; Beers, Brandon; Vergne, Matthew J.

2017-01-01

Laboratory experiments were developed to introduce students to the quantitation of drugs of abuse by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Undergraduate students were introduced to internal standard quantitation and the LC-MS/MS method optimization for cocaine. Cocaine extracted from paper currency was…

Acedia and Student Life: Ancient Christian Wisdom for Addressing Boredom, Distraction, and Over-Commitment in Undergraduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aijian, J. L.

2017-01-01

Although the deadly vice of acedia is prevalent in contemporary student culture, it is often misunderstood as mere carelessness. This article reconstructs the ancient meaning of acedia, highlighting its outward markers and arguing for a complex account of its internal motivations grounded in the work of John Cassian. These insights are then…

International Volcanological Field School in Kamchatka and Alaska: Experiencing Language, Culture, Environment, and Active Volcanoes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eichelberger, J. C.; Gordeev, E.; Ivanov, B.; Izbekov, P.; Kasahara, M.; Melnikov, D.; Selyangin, O.; Vesna, Y.

2003-12-01

The Kamchatka State University of Education, University of Alaska Fairbanks, and Hokkaido University are developing an international field school focused on explosive volcanism of the North Pacific. An experimental first session was held on Mutnovsky and Gorely Volcanoes in Kamchatka during August 2003. Objectives of the school are to:(1) Acquaint students with the chemical and physical processes of explosive volcanism, through first-hand experience with some of the most spectacular volcanic features on Earth; (2) Expose students to different concepts and approaches to volcanology; (3) Expand students' ability to function in a harsh environment and to bridge barriers in language and culture; (4) Build long-lasting collaborations in research among students and in teaching and research among faculty in the North Pacific region. Both undergraduate and graduate students from Russia, the United States, and Japan participated. The school was based at a mountain hut situated between Gorely and Mutnovsky Volcanoes and accessible by all-terrain truck. Day trips were conducted to summit craters of both volcanoes, flank lava flows, fumarole fields, ignimbrite exposures, and a geothermal area and power plant. During the evenings and on days of bad weather, the school faculty conducted lectures on various topics of volcanology in either Russian or English, with translation. Although subjects were taught at the undergraduate level, lectures led to further discussion with more advanced students. Graduate students participated by describing their research activities to the undergraduates. A final session at a geophysical field station permitted demonstration of instrumentation and presentations requiring sophisticated graphics in more comfortable surroundings. Plans are underway to make this school an annual offering for academic credit in the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, Alaska and in Kamchatka. The course will be targeted at undergraduates with a strong interest in and aptitude for the physical sciences, not necessarily volcanology. It will also serve as an entry point for students wishing to make extended exchange visits to the Russian Far East or Alaska, and to graduate students in volcanology wishing to undertake thesis research in North Pacific volcanism. The school represents the first educational effort of the newly established Japan Kamchatka Alaska Subduction Project (JKASP), which seeks to bring scientists of our three nations together in the study of one shared geophysical province, the Kuril-Kamchatka-Aleutian Arcs.

Using an FPLC to promote active learning of the principles of protein structure and purification.

PubMed

Robinson, Rebekah L; Neely, Amy E; Mojadedi, Wais; Threatt, Katie N; Davis, Nicole Y; Weiland, Mitch H

2017-01-02

The concepts of protein purification are often taught in undergraduate biology and biochemistry lectures and reinforced during laboratory exercises; however, very few reported activities allow students to directly gain experience using modern protein purification instruments, such as Fast Protein Liquid Chromatography (FPLC). This laboratory exercise uses size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and ion exchange (IEX) chromatography to separate a mixture of four different proteins. Students use an SEC chromatogram and corresponding SDS-PAGE gel to understand how protein conformations change under different conditions (i.e. native and non-native). Students explore strategies to separate co-eluting proteins by IEX chromatography. Using either cation or anion exchange, one protein is bound to the column while the other is collected in the flow-through. In this exercise, undergraduate students gain hands-on experience with experimental design, buffer and sample preparation, and implementation of instrumentation that is commonly used by experienced researchers while learning and applying the fundamental concepts of protein structure, protein purification, and SDS-PAGE. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 45(1):60-68, 2017. © 2016 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

The Importance of Science Policy and its Challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Preis, Benjamin

2015-03-01

I worked for physicist and Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) as the Mather Public Policy Intern through the American Institute of Physics and the Society of Physics Students during the summer of 2014. This internship is meant to connect undergraduate physics students with the policy process in Washington DC. As a Mather Public Policy Intern, I worked for Congressman Foster researching policy initiatives such as science funding, STEM education, and environmental regulations. This talk will discuss my experience and many of the things that I learned as an undergraduate physicist working on Capitol Hill. For example, through my experience with the internship, I attended lectures and hearings that illuminated for me how members of Congress conceive of scientific research. I also met with many physicists on Capitol Hill working to improve government interest in physics research -- AAAS Fellows, Members of Congress, and Government Relations Specialists -- and I will talk about how I saw physicists impacting governmental policies relating to scientific research and development. This internship is part of the Society of Physics Students internship program and was funded by the John and Jane Mather Foundation for Science and the Arts. This work was part of the Society of Physics Students internship Program.

Grafting: Making Space for International and Comparative Education in a Pre-Service Teacher Social Foundations Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shah, Payal; Brown, Kara D.

2016-01-01

This article contributes to a growing appreciation and understanding of both the ways to include exposure to Comparative and International Education (CIE) in undergraduate teacher education as well as to how students take up and respond creatively to opportunities for comparative exploration. In order to make space for comparative education in the…

International Undergraduate English Language Learners' Perception of Language and Academic Acquisition through Online Learning: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Jesus, Olga Noemi

2014-01-01

Many institutional programs are changing to incorporate more online opportunities as a way to meet the needs of their students. Therefore, international English language learners are being encouraged to take online courses in order to complete their programs of study at United States colleges or universities (Tan, Lee, & Steven, 2010). In this…

Advising and Acculturation Variables as Predictors of Satisfaction, Sense of Belonging, and Persistence among International Undergraduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mataczynski, Lisa

2013-01-01

Guided by the work of Hurtado and Carter (1997) as an alternative to Tinto's theory of student departure (1993), the purpose of this quantitative study was to explore the relationship of institutional and cultural factors to satisfaction with academic advising, sense of belonging to campus and retention among international undergraduate…

Integrating bio-inorganic and analytical chemistry into an undergraduate biochemistry laboratory.

PubMed

Erasmus, Daniel J; Brewer, Sharon E; Cinel, Bruno

2015-01-01

Undergraduate laboratories expose students to a wide variety of topics and techniques in a limited amount of time. This can be a challenge and lead to less exposure to concepts and activities in bio-inorganic chemistry and analytical chemistry that are closely-related to biochemistry. To address this, we incorporated a new iron determination by atomic absorption spectroscopy exercise as part of a five-week long laboratory-based project on the purification of myoglobin from beef. Students were required to prepare samples for chemical analysis, operate an atomic absorption spectrophotometer, critically evaluate their iron data, and integrate these data into a study of myoglobin. © 2015 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Evaluation of the Psychometric Properties of the Mental Vulnerability Questionnaire in Undergraduate Students.

PubMed

Sequeira, Carlos Alberto da Cruz; Barbosa, Elsa Natalina Mendes; Nogueira, Maria José Carvalho; Sampaio, Francisco Miguel Correia

2017-10-01

Translate, adapt the language, and assess the psychometric properties of the Mental Vulnerability Questionnaire (MVQ) in a Portuguese population sample of young adults. A psychometric validation study was performed. The sample comprised 166 undergraduate students. Factor analysis was applied to extract three indicators. The MVQ showed divergent validity with the Positive Mental Health Questionnaire (p < .001) and convergent validity with the Mental Health Inventory including five items (p < .001). Reliability was verified through the assessment of internal consistency, evidencing positive outcomes (Cronbach's α = 0.81). The MVQ shows psychometric properties enabling its adaptation to clinical practice and research, essential to an effective screening of mental vulnerability. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Exploring medical undergraduates' perceptions of the educational value of a novel ENT iBook: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Al-Hussaini, Ali; Tomkinson, Alun

2016-01-01

Undergraduate otolaryngology exposure is limited. It may be consolidated by the use of an iBook as a self-study tool. Following invitation to participate by email, five focus groups were formed, each consisting of six medical students (18 female, 12 male, median age 23 years). The focus group transcripts were imported to the qualitative data analysis software NVivo (QSR International, UK). The iBook was found to have a clear and consistent presentation, and a focused and user-friendly style, with reasonable interactivity and a good range of well-integrated media elements. It was, overall, perceived to be a valuable educational resource by the medical students.

Negotiating the Client-Based Capstone Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reifenberg, Steve; Long, Sean

2017-01-01

Many graduate programs for professionals (public policy, public administration, business, international affairs, and others) use client-based experiential learning projects, often termed "capstones," in which students combine theory and practice to benefit an outside client. Increasingly, undergraduate programs use client-based capstones…

The effectiveness of peer mentoring in promoting a positive transition to higher education for first-year undergraduate students: a mixed methods systematic review protocol.

PubMed

Carragher, Jean; McGaughey, Jennifer

2016-04-22

The global transfer of nursing and midwifery education to higher education institutes has led to student nurses and midwives experiencing challenges previously faced by traditional third-level students, including isolation, loneliness, financial difficulties and academic pressure. These challenges can contribute to increased stress and anxiety levels which may be detrimental to the successful transition to higher education, thus leading to an increase in attrition rates. Peer mentoring as an intervention has been suggested to be effective in supporting students in the transition to third-level education through enhancing a sense of belongingness and improving student satisfaction, engagement and retention rates. This proposed systematic review aims to determine the effectiveness of peer mentoring in enhancing levels of student engagement, sense of belonging and overall satisfaction of first-year undergraduate students following transition into higher education. MEDLINE, Web of Knowledge, ProQuest, Embase, CINAHL, ERIC, PsycINFO and CENTRAL databases will be searched for qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods studies on the implementation of peer assessment strategies in higher education institutes (HEIs) or universities for full-time, first-year adult students (>17 years). Included studies will be limited to the English language. The quality of included studies will be assessed using a validated Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). The findings will be presented as a narrative synthesis or meta-analysis as appropriate following sequential explanatory synthesis. The review will provide clear, non-biased evidence-based guidance to all third-level educators on the effectiveness of peer-mentoring programmes for first-year undergraduates. The review is necessary to help establish which type of peer mentoring is most effective. The evidence from qualitative and quantitative studies drawn from the international literature will be utilised to illustrate the best way to implement and evaluate peer mentoring as an effective intervention and will be useful in guiding future research and practice in this area. These findings may be applied internationally across all disciplines.

Supporting student skill development in undergraduate research experiences through the development of a self-reflection guide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hubenthal, M.; Brudzinski, M.

2016-12-01

There has been an increased emphasis on documenting the benefits of participating in undergraduate research opportunities (URO) and developing an understanding of the factors that influence these benefits. While tools to effectively measure the behavior, attitude, skills, interest, and/or knowledge (BASIK) that result from UROs have matured, little focus has been placed on developing practical tools and strategies to support students and mentors as they work to develop the BASIK being measured. Viewed through the lens of constructivism, a URO can be examined as a cognitive apprenticeship (CA) where learning occurs through several key methods: modeling, coaching, scaffolding, articulation, reflection, and exploration. In a study of UROs as CA, Feldman et al., (2013) found reflection to be one of the least commonly initiated methods employed by interns and mentors, and concluded, "there is need for professors to be more proactive in helping their students gain intellectual proficiency". This work, in its pilot stages, seeks to address this gap through the development of an intern self-reflection guide and implementation plan to further increase students' skill development. The guide is being developed based on IRIS's existing self-reflection tool. However, it has recently been revised to bring its constructs and items into better alignment with those of the Undergraduate Research Student Self-Assessment (URSSA) tool. The URSSA was selected because it is designed to measure skills and has recently undergone a validation study. In addition, it serves as the basis for the development of a new tool, the NSF Biology REU CORE. The revised self-reflection guide and protocol were piloted this summer in IRIS Summer REU program. The alignment between the constructs of the URSSA and the self-reflection guide will be presented along with findings from the 2016 program evaluation. Future development of the intervention will include a validation of the items on the self-reflection guide as well as the development of additional guidance for the mentors about the implementation process. Feldman, A., Divoll, K. A., & Rogan-Klyve, A. (2013). Becoming Researchers: The Participation of Undergraduate and Graduate Students in Scientific Research Groups. Science Education, 97(2), 218-243.

Developing entrepreneurial competencies in the healthcare management undergraduate classroom.

PubMed

Rubino, Louis; Freshman, Brenda

2005-01-01

Recently, entrepreneurial behavior is becoming more accepted in the healthcare field. This article describes an attempt to foster development of positive entrepreneurial competencies in the undergraduate health administration classroom. Through a literature review on entrepreneurs, eight competency clusters are identified; decision making, strategic thinking, risk taking, confidence building, communicating ideas, motivating team members, tolerance of ambiguity, and internal locus of control. These clusters are used to promote entrepreneurial skills for students though identified learning-centered activities and supplement an instructional style that facilitates thoughtful reflection.

Nursing as universal and recognisable: Nursing students'perceptions of learning outcomes from intercultural peer learning webinars: A qualitative study.

PubMed

Carlson, Elisabeth; Stenberg, Marie; Chan, Bessie; Ho, Sukki; Lai, Timothy; Wong, Arkers; Chan, Engle Angela

2017-10-01

Nursing students need to be prepared for the increasingly culturally diverse health care. Therefore, providing students with international perspectives remains the mission of higher education. However, given the logistic and financial constraints, not all students will be able to travel overseas for their international experiences. A feasible alternative to study abroad is internationalisation-at-home where intercultural dimensions are incorporated into curriculum, without students leaving their home universities. This paper presents findings from a collaboration between nursing programmes in Sweden and Hong Kong. The aim of the project was to explore how undergraduate nursing students' perceived achieved learning outcomes after participating in a web-based intercultural peer-learning intervention. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optics and communication technology major of physics undergraduate degree at King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buranasiri, Prathan

2014-09-01

A physics undergraduate degree major in optics and communication technology has been offered at King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL), Bangkok, Thailand. There are nine required three credit hour courses including two laboratory courses plus a number of selections in optics and communication based technology courses. For independent thinking and industrial working skills, nine credit hours of research project, practical training or overseas studies are included for selection in the final semester. Students are encouraged to participate in international conferences and professional organizations. Recently the program, with support from SPIE and OSA, has organized its first international conference on photonic solutions 2013 (ICPS 2013).

The acculturation, language and learning experiences of international nursing students: Implications for nursing education.

PubMed

Mitchell, Creina; Del Fabbro, Letitia; Shaw, Julie

2017-09-01

International or foreign students are those who enrol in universities outside their country of citizenship. They face many challenges acculturating to and learning in a new country and education system, particularly if they study in an additional language. This qualitative inquiry aimed to explore the learning and acculturating experiences of international nursing students to identify opportunities for teaching innovation to optimise the experiences and learning of international nursing students. Undergraduate and postgraduate international nursing students were recruited from one campus of an Australian university to take part in semi-structured interviews. A purposive and theoretically saturated sample of 17 students was obtained. Interviews were audio-recorded and field notes and interview data were thematically analysed. Expressing myself and Finding my place were the two major themes identified from the international student data. International nursing students identified that it took them longer to study in comparison with domestic students and that stress negatively influenced communication, particularly in the clinical setting. Additionally international nursing students identified the need to find supportive opportunities to speak English to develop proficiency. Clinical placement presented the opportunity to speak English and raised the risk of being identified as lacking language proficiency or being clinically unsafe. Initially, international nursing students felt isolated and it was some time before they found their feet. In this time, they experienced otherness and discrimination. International nursing students need a safe place to learn so they can adjust and thrive in the university learning community. Faculty and clinical educators must be culturally competent; they need to understand international nursing students' needs and be willing and able to advocate for and create an equitable environment that is appropriate for international nursing students' learning. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

A systematic review of the experiences of undergraduate nursing students choosing to study at an English speaking university outside their homeland.

PubMed

Terwijn, Ruth; Pearce, Susanne; Rogers-Clark, Catherine

Increasingly overseas students are attending university nursing programs in English-speaking countries to gain additional tertiary qualifications that may not be available in their homeland and also to fill the international nursing shortfall. For these students, some common issues identified and affirmed in qualitative research papers include loneliness, discriminatory experiences, developing communication, and academic skills. This systematic review will help identify and synthesise current issues through exploring the existing literature, giving an insight into the lives of international nursing students. Given the large and increasing number of these students, it is important to acknowledge and improve learning and other outcomes for them. The objective of this systematic review was to determine the best available evidence in relation to the experiences of undergraduate nursing students choosing to study at an English speaking university outside their homeland. This review sought high quality studies aimed at exploring the experience of undergraduate nursing students studying outside their homeland at an English speaking university. Both qualitative research studies and opinion-based text were considered for this review. An extensive search of the literature was conducted to identify research studies published between January 1990 and April 2011 in English and indexed in 37 major databases. All included articles were assessed independently by two reviewers (RT and SP), using the appropriate critical appraisal tool from the Joanna Briggs Institute. Data were extracted from included papers using appropriate standardised data extraction tools developed by the Joanna Briggs Institute. Data from qualitative studies and textual and opinion papers were meta-synthesised separately using standardised instruments. Data synthesis of all included studies involved the pooling of findings and then grouping into categories on a basis of similarity of meaning. The categories were further aggregated into a set of statements representing synthesised findings as a coherent whole. A total of 19 studies were identified as of high quality and meeting the inclusion criteria. From these studies, 254 findings were extracted which were grouped into 13 categories and further aggregated into four synthesised findings. The four major areas identified in this review in relation to the experiences of undergraduate nursing students studying outside their homeland at an English-speaking university include the need for support and encouragement, valuing and respecting difference, and the desire to succeed despite challenges and inclusion. Recognising the unique needs of international nursing students, in the clinical, academic and social context, is critical to improve the experiences of this student cohort. Educational and support strategies and programs are needed to respond to these needs. The implications for research are substantial. Given the outcomes of this review, action and evaluative research is needed to explore, implement and evaluate support strategies for students from non-English speaking backgrounds studying nursing. Research in the areas of curriculum development, supporting students' clinical experiences, and university social and academic support programs is recommended.

Rutgers Young Horse Teaching and Research Program: undergraduate student outcomes.

PubMed

Ralston, Sarah L

2012-12-01

Equine teaching and research programs are popular but expensive components of most land grant universities. External funding for equine research, however, is limited and restricts undergraduate research opportunities that enhance student learning. In 1999, a novel undergraduate teaching and research program was initiated at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ. A unique aspect of this program was the use of young horses generally considered "at risk" and in need of rescue but of relatively low value. The media interest in such horses was utilized to advantage to obtain funding for the program. The use of horses from pregnant mare urine (PMU) ranches and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) mustangs held the risks of attracting negative publicity, potential of injury while training previously unhandled young horses, and uncertainty regarding re-sale value; however, none of these concerns were realized. For 12 years the Young Horse Teaching and Research Program received extensive positive press and provided invaluable learning opportunities for students. Over 500 students, at least 80 of which were minorities, participated in not only horse management and training but also research, event planning, public outreach, fund-raising, and website development. Public and industry support provided program sustainability with only basic University infrastructural support despite severe economic downturns. Student research projects generated 25 research abstracts presented at national and international meetings and 14 honors theses. Over 100 students went on to veterinary school or other higher education programs, and more than 100 others pursued equine- or science-related careers. Laudatory popular press articles were published in a wide variety of breed/discipline journals and in local and regional newspapers each year. Taking the risk of using "at risk" horses yielded positive outcomes for all, especially the undergraduate students.

Assessment of an undergraduate psychiatry course in an African setting

PubMed Central

Baig, Benjamin J; Beaglehole, Anna; Stewart, Robert C; Boeing, Leonie; Blackwood, Douglas H; Leuvennink, Johan; Kauye, Felix

2008-01-01

Background International reports recommend the improvement in the amount and quality of training for mental health workers in low and middle income countries. The Scotland-Malawi Mental Health Education Project (SMMHEP) has been established to support the teaching of psychiatry to medical students in the University of Malawi. While anecdotally supportive medical educational initiatives appear of value, little quantitative evidence exists to demonstrate whether such initiatives can deliver comparable educational standards. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of an undergraduate psychiatry course given by UK psychiatrists in Malawi by studying University of Malawi and Edinburgh University medical students' performance on an MCQ examination paper. Methods An undergraduate psychiatry course followed by an MCQ exam was delivered by the SMMHEP to 57 Malawi medical students. This same MCQ exam was given to 71 Edinburgh University medical students who subsequently sat their own Edinburgh University examination. Results There were no significant differences between Edinburgh students' performance on the Malawi exam and their own Edinburgh University exam. (p = 0.65). This would suggest that the Malawi exam is a comparable standard to the Edinburgh exam. Malawi students marks ranged from 52.4%–84.6%. Importantly 84.4% of Malawi students scored above 60% on their exam which would equate to a hypothetical pass by UK university standards. Conclusion The support of an undergraduate course in an African setting by high income country specialists can attain a high percentage pass rate by UK standards. Although didactic teaching has been surpassed by more novel educational methods, in resource poor countries it remains an effective and cost effective method of gaining an important educational standard. PMID:18430237

Undergraduates study climate change science, philosophy, and public policy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bullock, Mark A.; Frodeman, Robert L.

The National Science Foundation's (NSF) Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program provides undergraduate students with the opportunity to participate in ongoing scientific research. Existing either as stand-alone summer programs or as supplementary components to existing NSF research grants, the REU program focuses on introducing aspiring young scientists to the delights and complexities of science. Global Climate Change and Society (GCCS) is an intensive, 8-week REU program that began a 3-year run in the summer of 2001.Developed by a philosopher at the Colorado School of Mines, and a planetary scientist at Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colrado, GCCS is a unique experiment in research and pedagogy that introduces students to science by using a distinctive approach. Choosing as its topic the questions surrounding global climate change, the program explores the interwoven scientific, philosophical, and public policy issues that make the climate change debate such a volatile topic in contemporary society. Last summer, the program selected 12 undergraduates through a nationally advertised competition. Student interns came from diverse academic and cultural backgrounds and included physics, philosophy and public policy majors from elite liberal arts schools, major research institutions, and mainstream state universities. The program was held at the University of Colorado and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), in Boulder, Colorado (Figure 1).

Development and validation of a questionnaire to evaluate infection control in oral radiology.

PubMed

da Costa, Eliana D; Pinelli, Camila; da Silva Tagliaferro, Elaine P; Corrente, José E; Ambrosano, Glaucia M B

2017-04-01

To create and validate a questionnaire to evaluate infection control in oral radiology. The questionnaire was developed after review of the literature, which included published articles and the biosafety protocols available from healthcare agencies. The initial version of the questionnaire was composed of 14 multiple choice questions and was divided into 3 domains on handwashing, disinfection/protection of surfaces and disinfectant used. Content validity was assessed by two expert committees, which reviewed the content and scope of the questionnaire and the relevance of each item, respectively. Reliability was evaluated using test-retest and internal consistency methods with 115 undergraduate dentistry students. Construct validity was assessed using the known-groups technique and factor analysis. The known-groups technique involved 641 undergraduate dentistry students, 20 PhD students and 15 oral radiology professors. In the factor analysis, 3 radiology technicians also participated in addition to the 641 undergraduates, 20 PhD students and 15 oral radiology professors. The content validity results were found to be satisfactory to excellent for the ordinal variables (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.722-1.000) and good to great for the yes/no questions (kappa = 0.662-0.913) in terms of reliability and good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.88). After a factor analysis, some questions were excluded, and the questions were grouped into new domains. Significant differences were observed between answers from different groups. The final version of the questionnaire was composed of nine domains. The questionnaire created was found to exhibit good psychometric properties for assessing infection control in oral radiology.

34 CFR 658.35 - What priority does the Secretary give?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... school foreign language instruction or that require each graduating student to earn two years of postsecondary credit in a foreign language (or have demonstrated equivalent competence in the foreign language... POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION UNDERGRADUATE INTERNATIONAL STUDIES AND FOREIGN LANGUAGE...

Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baer, Ruth A.; Smith, Gregory T.; Hopkins, Jaclyn; Krietemeyer, Jennifer; Toney, Leslie

2006-01-01

The authors examine the facet structure of mindfulness using five recently developed mindfulness questionnaires. Two large samples of undergraduate students completed mindfulness questionnaires and measures of other constructs. Psychometric properties of the mindfulness questionnaires were examined, including internal consistency and convergent…

Undergraduate Research in Quantum Information Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lyons, David W.

2017-01-01

Quantum Information Science (QIS) is an interdisciplinary field involving mathematics, computer science, and physics. Appealing aspects include an abundance of accessible open problems, active interest and support from government and industry, and an energetic, open, and collaborative international research culture. We describe our student-faculty…

International Geoscience Workforce Trends: More Challenges for Federal Agencies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Groat, C. G.

2005-12-01

Concern about the decreasing number of students entering undergraduate geoscience programs has been chronic and, at times, acute over the past three decades. Despite dwindling populations of undergraduate majors, graduate programs have remained relatively robust, bolstered by international students. With Increasing competition for graduate students by universities in Europe, Japan, Australia, and some developing countries, and with procedural challenges faced by international students seeking entry into the United States and its universities, this supply source is threatened. For corporations operating on a global scale, the opportunity to employ students from and trained in the regions in which they operate is generally a plus. For U.S. universities that have traditionally supplied this workforce, the changing situation poses challenges, but also opportunities for creative international partnerships. Federal government science agencies face more challenges than opportunities in meeting workforce needs under both present and changing education conditions. Restrictions on hiring non-U.S. citizens into the permanent workforce have been a long-standing issue for federal agencies. Exceptions are granted only where they can document the absence of eligible U.S.-citizen candidates. The U.S. Geological Survey has been successful in doing this in its Mendenhall Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program, but there has been no solution to the broader limitation. Under current and forecast workforce recruitment conditions, creativity, such as that evidenced by the Mendenhall program,will be necessary if federal agencies are to draw from the increasingly international geoscience talent pool. With fewer U.S. citizens in U.S. geoscience graduate programs and a growing number of advanced-degreed scientists coming from universities outside the U.S., the need for changes in federal hiring policies is heightened. The near-term liklihood of this is low and combined with the decline in appeal of the U.S. as a friendly workplace for international scientists, government agencies, universities, and the private sector face geoscience workforce challenges that will continue to grow.

Trends in Selecting Undergraduate Business Majors & International Enrollment & Expected Salaries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ozgur, Ceyhun; Li, Yang; Rogers, Grace

2015-01-01

The paper begins with a brief review of the literature and how business students choose their major in the U.S. and we list the most popular majors in the U.S. Universities. We also talk about the factors that influenced student's choice. In our next research project, we will not only use a larger sample size but also the sample will come from a…

Introducing undergraduate students to global health challenges through web-based learning.

PubMed

White, Jerry L

2005-01-01

Since many students cannot afford the expense of international travel, creative and active learning methods are needed to help students experience the increased awareness that results from exposure to global health concepts. The global health course described in this article uses a variety of web-based learning experiences and other interactive strategies to equip future nurses for leadership roles in global health. An emphasis on written communication is an important component of the course.

KSC-2014-3034

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-06-27

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Kennedy Space Center Pathways and summer intern students participate in a team building exercise at the KARS Park I facility near the center. High school, undergraduate and graduate students also received advice on leadership skills and working together from Kennedy's senior management, including Center Director Bob Cabana and Associate Director Kelvin Manning. About 160 students are working and gaining experience in many of the directorates and programs during their time at Kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/Daniel Casper

But science is international! Finding time and space to encourage intercultural learning in a content-driven physiology unit

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Internationalization of the curriculum is central to the strategic direction of many modern universities and has widespread benefits for student learning. However, these clear aspirations for internationalization of the curriculum have not been widely translated into more internationalized course content and teaching methods in the classroom, particularly in scientific disciplines. This study addressed one major challenge to promoting intercultural competence among undergraduate science students: finding time to scaffold such learning within the context of content-heavy, time-poor units. Small changes to enhance global and intercultural awareness were incorporated into existing assessments and teaching activities within a second-year biomedical physiology unit. Interventions were designed to start a conversation about global and intercultural perspectives on physiology, to embed the development of global awareness into the assessment and to promote cultural exchanges through peer interactions. In student surveys, 40% of domestic and 60% of international student respondents articulated specific learning about interactions in cross-cultural groups resulting from unit activities. Many students also identified specific examples of how cultural beliefs would impact on the place of biomedical physiology within the global community. In addition, staff observed more widespread benefits for student engagement and learning. It is concluded that a significant development of intercultural awareness and a more global perspective on scientific understanding can be supported among undergraduates with relatively modest, easy to implement adaptations to course content. PMID:25039086

Figure analysis: A teaching technique to promote visual literacy and active Learning.

PubMed

Wiles, Amy M

2016-07-08

Learning often improves when active learning techniques are used in place of traditional lectures. For many of these techniques, however, students are expected to apply concepts that they have already grasped. A challenge, therefore, is how to incorporate active learning into the classroom of courses with heavy content, such as molecular-based biology courses. An additional challenge is that visual literacy is often overlooked in undergraduate science education. To address both of these challenges, a technique called figure analysis was developed and implemented in three different levels of undergraduate biology courses. Here, students learn content while gaining practice in interpreting visual information by discussing figures with their peers. Student groups also make connections between new and previously learned concepts on their own while in class. The instructor summarizes the material for the class only after students grapple with it in small groups. Students reported a preference for learning by figure analysis over traditional lecture, and female students in particular reported increased confidence in their analytical abilities. There is not a technology requirement for this technique; therefore, it may be utilized both in classrooms and in nontraditional spaces. Additionally, the amount of preparation required is comparable to that of a traditional lecture. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 44(4):336-344, 2016. © 2016 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

But science is international! Finding time and space to encourage intercultural learning in a content-driven physiology unit.

PubMed

Etherington, Sarah J

2014-06-01

Internationalization of the curriculum is central to the strategic direction of many modern universities and has widespread benefits for student learning. However, these clear aspirations for internationalization of the curriculum have not been widely translated into more internationalized course content and teaching methods in the classroom, particularly in scientific disciplines. This study addressed one major challenge to promoting intercultural competence among undergraduate science students: finding time to scaffold such learning within the context of content-heavy, time-poor units. Small changes to enhance global and intercultural awareness were incorporated into existing assessments and teaching activities within a second-year biomedical physiology unit. Interventions were designed to start a conversation about global and intercultural perspectives on physiology, to embed the development of global awareness into the assessment and to promote cultural exchanges through peer interactions. In student surveys, 40% of domestic and 60% of international student respondents articulated specific learning about interactions in cross-cultural groups resulting from unit activities. Many students also identified specific examples of how cultural beliefs would impact on the place of biomedical physiology within the global community. In addition, staff observed more widespread benefits for student engagement and learning. It is concluded that a significant development of intercultural awareness and a more global perspective on scientific understanding can be supported among undergraduates with relatively modest, easy to implement adaptations to course content.

A comparison of debate and role play in enhancing critical thinking and communication skills of medical students during problem based learning.

PubMed

Latif, Rabia; Mumtaz, Sadaf; Mumtaz, Rafia; Hussain, Aamir

2018-04-18

Debate and role play for learning critical thinking and communication skills are being increasingly used in various undergraduate medical schools worldwide. We aim to compare students' views about effectiveness of two teaching strategies; debate and role play to exercise critical thinking and communication skills during problem-based learning (PBL). This is a comparative, cross-sectional, and questionnaire-based study. Our subjects were second year undergraduate female medical students enrolled in Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU), College of Medicine from September 2014-2016, divided into 10 small PBL groups (10-13 students/group/year). Students rated role play and debate as equally effective in improving communication skills. Debate was rated superior to role play in "opening new avenues of thinking" (p-value is 0.01), whereas in "integration of knowledge of basic medical sciences with clinical skills" and "reflection of real life experience" students rated role play being superior to debate (p-value 0.01 and 0.00, respectively). Both role play and debate are well accepted by the students in PBL curriculum as an effective teaching methodology. Both are perceived equally good in improving students' communication skills. Few aspects of critical thinking are improved more by role plays compared to debate and vice versa. © 2018 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2018. © 2018 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Indicators of undergraduate nursing students' satisfaction with their learning journey: An integrative review.

PubMed

Walker, Sandra; Rossi, Dolene; Anastasi, Jennifer; Gray-Ganter, Gillian; Tennent, Rebeka

2016-08-01

In Australia Bachelor of Nursing programmes are delivered via both internal and distance modes yet there is little knowledge of the indicators of undergraduate nursing students' satisfaction with the learning journey. This integrative review was undertaken to uncover the indicators of undergraduate nursing students' satisfaction with their learning journey. Integrative review. A review of key papers was undertaken. Only peer-reviewed papers published in scholarly journals from 2008 onwards were included in this integrative review. Pubmed, CINAHL, Google Scholar, Cochrane, Wiley Online and ProQuest Central databases were searched for relevant papers. 49 papers were appraised, by a minimum of two team members. CASP tools were used when evaluating qualitative research, systematic and integrated reviews while survey research was evaluated using a tool specifically developed for this purpose by the research team. All tools used to assess the quality of the research studies contained comprehensive checklists and questions relevant for the particular type of study. Data related to these checklists was extracted and the research team appraised the quality of each article based on its relevance to the topic, internal and external validity, appropriateness of data analysis technique(s), and whether ethical considerations were addressed. Seventeen papers were included in the final analysis. Data analysis involved a systematic approach using content analysis techniques. This integrative review sought to identify indicators of nursing students' satisfaction with their learning journey. Authentic learning, motivation, resilience, support, and collaborative learning were identified by this integrative review as being key to nursing students' satisfaction with their learning journey. Sub themes were identified within each of these themes that assist in explaining nursing students' views of their learning journey. The findings showed that higher satisfaction levels are attained when nursing students feel included and supported during their learning journey. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Partnerships for building strong internship and research experiences for undergraduates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goehring, L.; Haacker-Santos, R.; Dutilly, E.

2013-12-01

REU and internship site directors often operate in geographic and institutional isolation from each other, unable to share best practices or resources. When collaboration is possible, benefits for both the students and leaders of these programs can be achieved. In 2013, the SOARS REU program, hosted at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), supported the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) in creating a new internship program aimed at engaging undergraduate science and engineering students in NEON's work. Both student programs share the objective of reaching underrepresented groups in STEM. The year long collaboration allowed NEON to learn best practices in recruitment and support of students, mentor training, and program development, and to customize its internship according to its organization i.e., a science/engineering observatory under construction. Both programs shared several elements: students were housed together so that interns could tap into a larger cohort of supportive peers; students participated in a joint leadership training to strengthen cross program mentoring; and students met weekly for a scientific communications workshop. Having multiple science disciplines represented enhanced the workshop as students learned about writing styles and cultures of each other's fields, fostering an appreciation of different scientific disciplines and interdisciplinary thinking. Finally, at the end of the summer, students presented their findings in a joint poster session. We found that collaboration between programs led to increased recruitment of students from diverse backgrounds and support of students through stronger cohorts, shared trainings, and enhanced program content. In this presentation we share findings of our programs' evaluations and make recommendations on building collaborative partnerships for internships and research experiences for undergraduates.

The development and validation of a questionnaire to measure the clinical learning environment for undergraduate dental students (DECLEI).

PubMed

Kossioni, A E; Lyrakos, G; Ntinalexi, I; Varela, R; Economu, I

2014-05-01

The aim of this study was to develop and validate according to psychometric standards a self-administered instrument to measure the students' self-perceptions of the undergraduate clinical dental environment (DECLEI). The initial questionnaire was developed using feedback from dental students, experts' opinion and an extensive literature review. Critical incident technique (CIT) analysis was used to generate items and identify domains. Thirty clinical dental students participated in a pilot validation that generated a 67-item questionnaire. To develop a shorter and more practical version of the instrument, DECLEI-67 was distributed to 153 clinical students at the University of Athens and its English version to 51 students from various dental schools, attending the 2012 European Dental Students Association meeting. This final procedure aimed to select items, identify subscales and measure internal consistency and discriminant validity. A total of 202 students returned the questionnaires (response rate 99%). The final instrument included 24 items divided into three subscales: (i) organisation and learning opportunities, (ii) professionalism and communication and (iii) satisfaction and commitment to the dental studies. Cronbach's α for the total questionnaire was 0.89. The interscale correlations ranged from 0.39 to 0.48. The instrument identified differences related to school of origin, age and duration of clinical experience. An interpretation of the scores (range 0–100) has been proposed. The 24-item DECLEI seemed to be a practical and valid instrument to measure a dental school's undergraduate clinical learning environment.

The Virtual Poster Showcase: Opportunities for students to present their research from anywhere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asher, P. M.; Furukawa, H.; Williams, B. M.; Holm Adamec, B.

2015-12-01

Although many students conduct research with faculty in organized summer programs or as part of their course work or their degree work, they often face barriers to traveling to present that research, especially at national or international conferences. This is especially true for students who are members of underrepresented minority populations and students studying outside of the United States. A new and exciting opportunity for undergraduate as well as graduate students to showcase their work is now available. AGU piloted three opportunities for an undergraduate and graduate virtual poster showcase in the fall of 2015. Student participants were recruited from a diverse array of groups including minority-serving organizations, two-year colleges, and internship programs at federal agencies and national laboratories. Students uploaded an abstract, poster, and short video explain their research, and then participated in Q&A sessions with peers as well as expert judges. This presentation will share characteristics of participating groups, lessons learned from this new program, and preliminary evaluation findings as well as plans for the future.

Knowledge and Perceptions of Pharmacy Students in Qatar on Anti-Doping in Sports and on Sports Pharmacy in Undergraduate Curricula

PubMed Central

Mottram, David; Rahhal, Alaa; Alemrayat, Bayan; Ahmed, Afif; Stuart, Mark; Khalifa, Sherief

2015-01-01

Objective. To assess pharmacy students’ knowledge and perceptions of doping and anti-doping in sports and to explore the curricular needs for undergraduate pharmacy in the field of sports pharmacy. Methods. A cross-sectional, descriptive, web-based survey of pharmacy students was conducted at Qatar University College of Pharmacy from March to May 2014. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results. Eighty respondents completed the online survey (80% response rate). Sixty percent were unaware of the World Anti-Doping Agency, and 85% were unaware of the International Pharmaceutical Federation’s statement on the pharmacist’s role in anti-doping. Students’ knowledge score regarding the prohibited status of drugs that may be used by athletes was around 50%. Fourth-year pharmacy students had significantly higher knowledge scores than the other groups of students. Respondents acknowledged the important role of health care professionals, including pharmacists, as advisors on the safe and effective use of drugs in sports. Ninety percent of the students supported the inclusion of sports pharmacy in the curriculum. Conclusion. Pharmacy students indicated a strong desire to play a role in doping prevention and ensure safe and rational use of drugs among athletes. They suggested requiring an education and training strategy for sports pharmacy in undergraduate pharmacy curricula. PMID:26689844

Integrating Online Discussion in an Australian Intensive English Language Course.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sutherland-Smith, Wendy

2002-01-01

Describes how the Internet was used for online interaction in a 10-week English-as-a-Second-Language course. Students were highly motivated and seeking eventual admittance to undergraduate programs through successful completion of International English language Testing System (IELTS) examinations. (Author/VWL)

Engaging actively with issues in the responsible conduct of science: lessons from international efforts are relevant for undergraduate education in the United States.

PubMed

Clements, John D; Connell, Nancy D; Dirks, Clarissa; El-Faham, Mohamed; Hay, Alastair; Heitman, Elizabeth; Stith, James H; Bond, Enriqueta C; Colwell, Rita R; Anestidou, Lida; Husbands, Jo L; Labov, Jay B

2013-01-01

Numerous studies are demonstrating that engaging undergraduate students in original research can improve their achievement in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields and increase the likelihood that some of them will decide to pursue careers in these disciplines. Associated with this increased prominence of research in the undergraduate curriculum are greater expectations from funders, colleges, and universities that faculty mentors will help those students, along with their graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, develop an understanding and sense of personal and collective obligation for responsible conduct of science (RCS). This Feature describes an ongoing National Research Council (NRC) project and a recent report about educating faculty members in culturally diverse settings (Middle East/North Africa and Asia) to employ active-learning strategies to engage their students and colleagues deeply in issues related to RCS. The NRC report describes the first phase of this project, which took place in Aqaba and Amman, Jordan, in September 2012 and April 2013, respectively. Here we highlight the findings from that report and our subsequent experience with a similar interactive institute in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Our work provides insights and perspectives for faculty members in the United States as they engage undergraduate and graduate students, as well as postdoctoral fellows, to help them better understand the intricacies of and connections among various components of RCS. Further, our experiences can provide insights for those who may wish to establish "train-the-trainer" programs at their home institutions.

Engaging Actively with Issues in the Responsible Conduct of Science: Lessons from International Efforts Are Relevant for Undergraduate Education in the United States

PubMed Central

Clements, John D.; Connell, Nancy D.; Dirks, Clarissa; El-Faham, Mohamed; Hay, Alastair; Heitman, Elizabeth; Stith, James H.; Bond, Enriqueta C.; Colwell, Rita R.; Anestidou, Lida; Husbands, Jo L.; Labov, Jay B.

2013-01-01

Numerous studies are demonstrating that engaging undergraduate students in original research can improve their achievement in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields and increase the likelihood that some of them will decide to pursue careers in these disciplines. Associated with this increased prominence of research in the undergraduate curriculum are greater expectations from funders, colleges, and universities that faculty mentors will help those students, along with their graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, develop an understanding and sense of personal and collective obligation for responsible conduct of science (RCS). This Feature describes an ongoing National Research Council (NRC) project and a recent report about educating faculty members in culturally diverse settings (Middle East/North Africa and Asia) to employ active-learning strategies to engage their students and colleagues deeply in issues related to RCS. The NRC report describes the first phase of this project, which took place in Aqaba and Amman, Jordan, in September 2012 and April 2013, respectively. Here we highlight the findings from that report and our subsequent experience with a similar interactive institute in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Our work provides insights and perspectives for faculty members in the United States as they engage undergraduate and graduate students, as well as postdoctoral fellows, to help them better understand the intricacies of and connections among various components of RCS. Further, our experiences can provide insights for those who may wish to establish “train-the-trainer” programs at their home institutions. PMID:24297287

Knowledge of Future Dental Practitioners towards Oral Cancer: Exploratory Findings from a Public University in Malaysia

PubMed Central

Bhagavathula, Akshaya Srikanth; Bin Zakaria, Nazrin; Jamshed, Shazia Qasim

2015-01-01

Objective. To assess knowledge and awareness of oral cancer in the early identification of risk factors among undergraduate dental students. Methods. A total of 162 undergraduate (third, fourth, and fifth year) dental students at International Islamic University, Malaysia, were approached to participate in the study, and those who agreed were administered. A 9-item pretested questionnaire contains questions on oral examination, oral cancer risk factors, and requests for further information. Descriptive statistics were conducted using chi-square testing. Results. The response rate of the study was 70.3% (114/162), with 26 (22.8%) males and 88 (77.2%) females. All undergraduate dental students were familiar with examining the oral mucosa of their patients and most were likely to advise patients about the risk factors for developing oral cancer (98.2%). Nearly one-third (32.4%) of students reported examining patients with oral lesions as early signs for oral cancer (P < 0.001) and nearly 70% agreed that they did not have sufficient knowledge regarding the prevention and detection of oral cancer (P < 0.001). In addition, more than 95.6% agreed that there is a need for additional information/teaching regarding oral cancer. Further, 61.3% and 14.1% identified tobacco smoking and drinking alcohol as major risk factors for developing oral cancer. Conclusion. This study demonstrated lack of awareness about risk factors among undergraduate dental students regarding oral cancer. Reinforcing awareness and enhancing the benefits of early detection on prevention of oral cancer should be done through training and/or educational intervention. PMID:26839548

Research Experience for Undergraduate Students and Its Impact on STEM Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhan, Wei

2014-01-01

Research experience has been proven to be effective in enhancing the overall educational experience for undergraduate students. In this article, two engineering research projects with undergraduate students involvement are discussed. The projects provided the undergraduate student researchers with motivation for independent research work and…

Using Screencast Videos to Enhance Undergraduate Students' Statistical Reasoning about Confidence Intervals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strazzeri, Kenneth Charles

2013-01-01

The purposes of this study were to investigate (a) undergraduate students' reasoning about the concepts of confidence intervals (b) undergraduate students' interactions with "well-designed" screencast videos on sampling distributions and confidence intervals, and (c) how screencast videos improve undergraduate students' reasoning ability…

Faculty Development Workshops to Support Establishing and Sustaining Undergraduate Research Programs in the Earth Sciences (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fox, L. K.; Guertin, L. A.

2013-12-01

The Geosciences Division of the Council of Undergraduate Research (GeoCUR, http://curgeoscience.wordpress.com/) has a long history of supporting faculty who engage in undergraduate research. The division has held faculty development workshops at national meetings of the GSA and AGU for over 15 years. These workshops serve faculty at all career stages and cover multiple aspects of the enterprise of engaging students in undergraduate research. Topics covered include: getting a job (particularly at a primarily undergraduate institution), incorporating research into classes, mentoring independent research projects and identifying sources of internal and external funding. Originally, these workshops were funded through CUR and registration income. When the administrative costs to run the workshops increased, we successfully sought funding from the NSF Course, Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement (CCLI) program. This CCLI Type 1 special project allowed the expansion of the GSA workshops from half-day to full-day and the offering of workshops to other venues, including the annual meeting of the Association of American Geographers and sectional GSA meetings. The workshops are organized and led by GeoCUR councilors, some of whom attended workshops as graduate students or new faculty. Current and past Geoscience program officers in the NSF Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) have presented on NSF funding opportunities. Based on participant surveys, the content of the workshops has evolved over time. Workshop content is also tailored to the particular audience; for example, AGU workshops enroll more graduate students and post-docs and thus the focus is on the job ';search' and getting started in undergraduate research. To date, this CCLI Type 1 project has supported 15 workshops and a variety of print and digital resources shared with workshop participants. This presentation will highlight the goals of this workshop proposal and also provide insights about strategies for funding professional development, impact of workshops on initiating and sustaining undergraduate research programs, and future directions of this program.

Teaching of ophthalmology in undergraduate curricula: a survey of Australasian and Asian medical schools.

PubMed

Fan, Jennifer C; Sherwin, Trevor; McGhee, Charles N J

2007-01-01

Despite established international guidelines on preferred teaching components for ophthalmology in undergraduate curricula, with increasingly less specialty-based undergraduate teaching within curricula, teaching of core ophthalmology knowledge and skills may become marginalized. This survey aims to evaluate the current state of undergraduate ophthalmology teaching in Australasia and proximate Asian medical schools. A questionnaire was developed to determine the content and extent of ophthalmology teaching in the undergraduate medical curriculum. The questionnaire was sent to 25 medical schools throughout Australasia and Asia. Nineteen of the 25 questionnaires were returned (76% response rate). Ophthalmology teaching programmes ranged from 2 to 20 days: five (26%) medical schools having one ophthalmology attachment; six schools (32%) two attachments; and the remainder three or more. Only seven of the schools taught all 13 ophthalmology topics recommended in current curriculum guidelines. Ocular examination (100%), lens and cataract (95%) and ocular manifestations of systemic disease (95%) were the most commonly taught topics, with intraocular tumours only covered by 10 schools (53%). Students in 14 schools (74%) attended ophthalmology operating theatre, but only two schools (11%) offered attendance at optometry clinics. Ten schools (53%) required a pass in ophthalmology to complete the academic year. Ophthalmology may increasingly be a small, or even absent, component of undergraduate medical curricula. Despite established international ophthalmology curriculum guidelines, this survey highlights significant lack of uniformity in their implementation.

"On the job" learning: A bioinformatics course incorporating undergraduates in actual research projects and manuscript submissions.

PubMed

Smith, Jason T; Harris, Justine C; Lopez, Oscar J; Valverde, Laura; Borchert, Glen M

2015-01-01

The sequencing of whole genomes and the analysis of genetic information continues to fundamentally change biological and medical research. Unfortunately, the people best suited to interpret this data (biologically trained researchers) are commonly discouraged by their own perceived computational limitations. To address this, we developed a course to help alleviate this constraint. Remarkably, in addition to equipping our undergraduates with an informatic toolset, we found our course design helped prepare our students for collaborative research careers in unexpected ways. Instead of simply offering a traditional lecture- or laboratory-based course, we chose a guided inquiry method, where an instructor-selected research question is examined by students in a collaborative analysis with students contributing to experimental design, data collection, and manuscript reporting. While students learn the skills needed to conduct bioinformatic research throughout all sections of the course, importantly, students also gain experience in working as a team and develop important communication skills through working with their partner and the class as a whole, and by contributing to an original research article. Remarkably, in its first three semesters, this novel computational genetics course has generated 45 undergraduate authorships across three peer-reviewed articles. More importantly, the students that took this course acquired a positive research experience, newfound informatics technical proficiency, unprecedented familiarity with manuscript preparation, and an earned sense of achievement. Although this course deals with analyses of genetic systems, we suggest the basic concept of integrating actual research projects into a 16-week undergraduate course could be applied to numerous other research-active academic fields. © 2015 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Blueprint for an Undergraduate Primary Care Curriculum.

PubMed

Fazio, Sara B; Demasi, Monica; Farren, Erin; Frankl, Susan; Gottlieb, Barbara; Hoy, Jessica; Johnson, Amanda; Kasper, Jill; Lee, Patrick; McCarthy, Claire; Miller, Kathe; Morris, Juliana; O'Hare, Kitty; Rosales, Rachael; Simmons, Leigh; Smith, Benjamin; Treadway, Katherine; Goodell, Kristen; Ogur, Barbara

2016-12-01

In light of the increasing demand for primary care services and the changing scope of health care, it is important to consider how the principles of primary care are taught in medical school. While the majority of schools have increased students' exposure to primary care, they have not developed a standardized primary care curriculum for undergraduate medical education. In 2013, the authors convened a group of educators from primary care internal medicine, pediatrics, family medicine, and medicine-pediatrics, as well as five medical students to create a blueprint for a primary care curriculum that could be integrated into a longitudinal primary care experience spanning undergraduate medical education and delivered to all students regardless of their eventual career choice.The authors organized this blueprint into three domains: care management, specific areas of content expertise, and understanding the role of primary care in the health care system. Within each domain, they described specific curriculum content, including longitudinality, generalism, central responsibility for managing care, therapeutic alliance/communication, approach to acute and chronic care, wellness and prevention, mental and behavioral health, systems improvement, interprofessional training, and population health, as well as competencies that all medical students should attain by graduation.The proposed curriculum incorporates important core features of doctoring, which are often affirmed by all disciplines but owned by none. The authors argue that primary care educators are natural stewards of this curriculum content and can ensure that it complements and strengthens all aspects of undergraduate medical education.

Time Perspectives and Boredom Coping Strategies of Undergraduate Students from Turkey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eren, Altay; Coskun, Hamit

2015-01-01

Using person-centered and variable-centered analyses, this study examined the relationships between undergraduate students' time perspectives and boredom coping strategies. A total of 719 undergraduate students voluntarily participated in the study. Results of the study showed that undergraduate students' time perspectives can be reliably defined…

Undergraduate Students' Performance: The Case of University of Malaya

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alfan, Ervina; Othman, Md Nor

2005-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine the undergraduate students' performance in the Faculty of Business and Accountancy, University of Malaya and the factors influencing the performance of the undergraduate students. Design/methodology/approach: The performance of the undergraduate students in this study is measured by their…

Group work: Facilitating the learning of international and domestic undergraduate nursing students.

PubMed

Shaw, Julie; Mitchell, Creina; Del Fabbro, Letitia

2015-01-01

Devising innovative strategies to address internationalization is a contemporary challenge for universities. A Participatory Action Research (PAR) project was undertaken to identify issues for international nursing students and their teachers. The findings identified group work as a teaching strategy potentially useful to facilitate international student learning. The educational intervention of structured group work was planned and implemented in one subject of a Nursing degree. Groups of four to five students were formed with one or two international students per group. Structural support was provided by the teacher until the student was learning independently, the traditional view of scaffolding. The group work also encouraged students to learn from one another, a contemporary understanding of scaffolding. Evaluation of the group work teaching strategy occurred via anonymous, self-completed student surveys. The student experience data were analysed using descriptive statistical techniques, and free text comments were analysed using content analysis. Over 85% of respondents positively rated the group work experience. Overwhelmingly, students reported that class discussions and sharing nursing experiences positively influenced their learning and facilitated exchange of knowledge about nursing issues from an international perspective. This evaluation of a structured group work process supports the use of group work in engaging students in learning, adding to our understanding of purposeful scaffolding as a pathway to enhance learning for both international and domestic students. By explicitly using group work within the curriculum, educators can promote student learning, a scholarly approach to teaching and internationalization of the curriculum.

CUREs in biochemistry-where we are and where we should go.

PubMed

Bell, Jessica K; Eckdahl, Todd T; Hecht, David A; Killion, Patrick J; Latzer, Joachim; Mans, Tamara L; Provost, Joseph J; Rakus, John F; Siebrasse, Erica A; Ellis Bell, J

2017-01-02

Integration of research experience into classroom is an important and vital experience for all undergraduates. These course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) have grown from independent instructor lead projects to large consortium driven experiences. The impact and importance of CUREs on students at all levels in biochemistry was the focus of a National Science Foundation funded think tank. The state of biochemistry CUREs and suggestions for moving biochemistry forward as well as a practical guide (supplementary material) are reported here. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 45(1):7-12, 2017. © 2016 The Authors Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Undergraduate research experiences support science career decisions and active learning.

PubMed

Lopatto, David

2007-01-01

The present study examined the reliability of student evaluations of summer undergraduate research experiences using the SURE (Survey of Undergraduate Research Experiences) and a follow-up survey disseminated 9 mo later. The survey further examines the hypothesis that undergraduate research enhances the educational experience of science undergraduates, attracts and retains talented students to careers in science, and acts as a pathway for minority students into science careers. Undergraduates participated in an online survey on the benefits of undergraduate research experiences. Participants indicated gains on 20 potential benefits and reported on career plans. Most of the participants began or continued to plan for postgraduate education in the sciences. A small group of students who discontinued their plans for postgraduate science education reported significantly lower gains than continuing students. Women and men reported similar levels of benefits and similar patterns of career plans. Undergraduate researchers from underrepresented groups reported higher learning gains than comparison students. The results replicated previously reported data from this survey. The follow-up survey indicated that students reported gains in independence, intrinsic motivation to learn, and active participation in courses taken after the summer undergraduate research experience.

The association of academic burnout with self-efficacy and quality of learning experience among Iranian students.

PubMed

Charkhabi, Morteza; Azizi Abarghuei, Mohsen; Hayati, Davood

2013-01-01

The present study examines the relationship between academic burnout and quality of learning experience and self-efficacy among undergraduate students. The sample consisted of 233 undergraduate students (106 men and 127 women) who were selected by stratified random sampling method. The participants completed the Quality of Learning Experience Scale, Academic Burnout scale, and General Self-Efficacy scale. This study is particularly interesting in the context of Iran, known for its equality-striving and high-quality educational system. Iranian youth, compared with youth in many other countries, have a lower level of well-being. The antecedents of academic burnout are divided into two categories: internal and external variables. In most studies regarding to the issue, one category is used to predict the dependent variable. However, in this study we utilized both ones; self-efficacy was considered as internal and quality of learning experience was used as an external predictor. Correlation coefficients indicated that all relationships between academic burnout and its components with self-efficacy were statistically significant. Furthermore, academic burnout and all of its components had significant correlations with quality of learning experience. Also, the relationship between resources with emotional exhaustion and professor-student relationship with academic inefficacy were not significant. On the basis of the results, through our research, we will expand academic burnout literature by focusing on its external and internal antecedents. In addition, we conclude with theoretical and practical implications and propose a clear horizon for future researches.

Summer Research Internships at Biosphere 2 Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Broecker, Wallace S.; Colodner, Debra; Griffin, Kevin

1997-01-01

Through the support of NASA's Mission to Planet Earth, Biosphere 2 Center hosted 11 research interns for 6 to 8 weeks each during the summer of 1997. In addition, we were able to offer scholarships to 14 students for Columbia University summer field courses. These two types of programs engaged students in much of the range of activity of practicing Earth Scientists, with an emphasis on the collection and analysis of data in both the field and the laboratory. Research interns and students in the field courses also played an important part in the design and evolution of their research projects. In addition to laboratory and field research, students participated in weekly research seminars by resident and visiting scientists. Research interns were exposed to the geology and ecology of the region via short field trips to the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, Mount Lemmon, Aravaipa Canyon and the Gulf of California, while field course students were exposed to laboratory-based research via intern-led hands-on demonstrations of their work. All students made oral and written presentations of their work during the summer, and two of the research interns have applied to present their results at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research in Maryland in April, 1998.

KSC-2014-3028

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-06-27

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana speaks to Pathways and summer interns at the KARS Park I facility near the center. High school, undergraduate and graduate students participated in a team building exercise and received advice on leadership skills and working together from Kennedy's senior management. About 160 students are working and gaining experience in many of the directorates and programs during their time at Kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/Daniel Casper

KSC-2014-3031

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-06-27

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana speaks to Pathways and summer interns at the KARS Park I facility near the center. High school, undergraduate and graduate students participated in a team building exercise and received advice on leadership skills and working together from Kennedy's senior management. About 160 students are working and gaining experience in many of the directorates and programs during their time at Kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/Daniel Casper

KSC-2014-3027

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-06-27

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana speaks to Pathways and summer interns at the KARS Park I facility near the center. High school, undergraduate and graduate students participated in a team building exercise and received advice on leadership skills and working together from Kennedy's senior management. About 160 students are working and gaining experience in many of the directorates and programs during their time at Kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/Daniel Casper

Monitoring undergraduate student needs and activities at Experimental Biology: APS pilot survey.

PubMed

Nichols, Nicole L; Ilatovskaya, Daria V; Matyas, Marsha L

2017-06-01

Life science professional societies play important roles for undergraduates in their fields and increasingly offer membership, fellowships, and awards for undergraduate students. However, the overall impacts of society-student interactions have not been well studied. Here, we sought to develop and test a pilot survey of undergraduate students to determine how they got involved in research and in presenting at the Experimental Biology (EB) meeting, what they gained from the scientific and career development sessions at the meeting, and how the American Physiological Society (APS) can best support and engage undergraduate students. This survey was administered in 2014 and 2015 to undergraduate students who submitted physiology abstracts for and attended EB. More than 150 students responded (38% response rate). Respondents were demographically representative of undergraduate students majoring in life sciences in the United States. Most students (72%) became involved in research through a summer research program or college course. They attended a variety of EB sessions, including poster sessions and symposia, and found them useful. Undergraduate students interacted with established researchers at multiple venues. Students recommended that APS provide more research fellowships (25%) and keep in touch with students via both e-mail (46%) and social media (37%). Our results indicate that APS' EB undergraduate activities are valued by students and are effective in helping them have a positive scientific meeting experience. These results also guided the development of a more streamlined survey for use in future years. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

The polygonal model: A simple representation of biomolecules as a tool for teaching metabolism.

PubMed

Bonafe, Carlos Francisco Sampaio; Bispo, Jose Ailton Conceição; de Jesus, Marcelo Bispo

2018-01-01

Metabolism involves numerous reactions and organic compounds that the student must master to understand adequately the processes involved. Part of biochemical learning should include some knowledge of the structure of biomolecules, although the acquisition of such knowledge can be time-consuming and may require significant effort from the student. In this report, we describe the "polygonal model" as a new means of graphically representing biomolecules. This model is based on the use of geometric figures such as open triangles, squares, and circles to represent hydroxyl, carbonyl, and carboxyl groups, respectively. The usefulness of the polygonal model was assessed by undergraduate students in a classroom activity that consisted of "transforming" molecules from Fischer models to polygonal models and vice and versa. The survey was applied to 135 undergraduate Biology and Nursing students. Students found the model easy to use and we noted that it allowed identification of students' misconceptions in basic concepts of organic chemistry, such as in stereochemistry and organic groups that could then be corrected. The students considered the polygonal model easier and faster for representing molecules than Fischer representations, without loss of information. These findings indicate that the polygonal model can facilitate the teaching of metabolism when the structures of biomolecules are discussed. Overall, the polygonal model promoted contact with chemical structures, e.g. through drawing activities, and encouraged student-student dialog, thereby facilitating biochemical learning. © 2017 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 46(1):66-75, 2018. © 2017 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Multinational Business Gaming: Is Gender Important?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Scott D.; And Others

1997-01-01

A study investigated influence of gender on undergraduate students (n=119) involved in international business games. Females tended to view the simulation as less complex, have less cohesive group structures, and show less self-confidence than males. However, game performance measures showed no significant gender differences. Implications for…

German for Engineers and Scientists: Initiatives in International Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weinmann, Sigrid

The Michigan Technological University program in German area studies is described. The program is designed for science and engineering students at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Its components include: a 1-year scientific German sequence, stressing specialized vocabulary, reading skills, use of reference materials, translation into…

Characterizing the Landscape: Collegiate Organizations' Chemistry Outreach Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pratt, Justin M.; Yezierski, Ellen J.

2018-01-01

Little scholarly investigation of chemistry outreach carried out by undergraduate students in schools and communities has occurred despite widespread practice and monetary investment by large national and international organizations. This study provides the first investigation of these fairly uncharted waters by characterizing expected outcomes of…

Native American Identity Development and Counseling Preferences: A Study of Lumbee Undergraduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scholl, Mark B.

2006-01-01

The author investigated the relationships among the racial identity development status levels (preencounter, dissonance, immersion/resistance, and internalization) of 121 Native American college students and their preferences for counselor role (audience giving, approval giving, advice giving, and relationship giving). Participants most preferred…

Effects of Rehearsal on Perceived and Imagined Autobiographical Memories.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Suengas, Aurora G.; Johnson, Marcia K.

It has been shown that internally generated (thought or imagination) and externally generated (events, things, or people encountered in the past) autobiographical memories differ in characteristic ways. To examine the consequences of rehearsal on simulated perceived and imagined autobiographical memories, 36 undergraduate students participated in…

Research at a Liberal Arts College: Make Sure you have a Net for your High Wire Act

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marshall, Mark D.; Leung, Helen O.

2015-06-01

A career as a spectroscopist at a primarily (or exclusively) undergraduate institution presents both great rewards and significant challenges. Strategies that we have found helpful in meeting some of the challenges are presented along with some of the work we have been able to accomplish with undergraduate students. The most important resource is a network of colleagues who can provide mentoring and collaboration, and the role of the International Symposium on Molecular Spectroscopy in facilitating this support is highlighted.

Evaluation of the educational impact of a special study module on maritime medicine for medical undergraduate students.

PubMed

McCarthy, Nora; O'Flynn, Siun; Murphy, John; Barry, David; Canals, Maria Luisa

2013-01-01

The hazardous occupation of seafaring brings many unique medical challenges. Despite its international nature, maritime medicine does not typically form a part of undergraduate medical studies. A unique and innovative, optional student-selected module (SSM) 'maritime medicine' was offered to medical students. A key objective was to develop students' attitudes to maritime medicine and increase their awareness of the discipline and its specialised nature. The aim of this study was to assess qualitatively and quantitatively the educational impact of the maritime medicine SSM and to improve the module content and design for future academic years. Students' perceived relevance and knowledge before and after the module was assessed using a Likert-based questionnaire. Comparison was made with controls in the post module100 multiple choice question (MCQ) paper. Qualitative feedback was obtained from semi-structured focus student discussion groups and the questionnaire's free comments section. A significant increase in perceived knowledge was seen between pre and post module p < 3.45 × 10-10, matched with the module students performing significantly better than controls in the end-of-module MCQ paper (p < 8.99 × 10-20). Qualitative analysis revealed 5 main themes: teaching methods, appreciation of non-academic instructors, appreciation of maritime medicine unique requirements, timetabling and enjoyment. This unique and innovative maritime medicine module harnessed local expertise and raised the awareness and profile of maritime medicine among undergraduate medical students. It was very well received and had a significant educational impact. Practical teaching methods were highly valued by students, with these areas also performing best in quantitative analysis.

Student Loan Default Rates in Minnesota, 2007

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grimes, Tricia

2010-01-01

While Minnesota undergraduates are more likely to take out student loans, they are substantially less likely than their peers nationally to default on federal student loans. Fifty-four percent of Minnesota undergraduates took out student loans in 2007-2008, compared to 39 percent of undergraduates across the U.S. Minnesota undergraduates were also…

Monitoring Undergraduate Student Needs and Activities at Experimental Biology: APS Pilot Survey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nichols, Nicole L.; Ilatovskaya, Daria V.; Matyas, Marsha L.

2017-01-01

Life science professional societies play important roles for undergraduates in their fields and increasingly offer membership, fellowships, and awards for undergraduate students. However, the overall impacts of society-student interactions have not been well studied. Here, we sought to develop and test a pilot survey of undergraduate students to…

Undergraduate Student Perceptions of the Pedagogy Used in a Leadership Course: A Qualitative Examination

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Odom, Summer F.

2015-01-01

This exploratory, qualitative, descriptive study examined undergraduate student perspectives of pedagogy used in an undergraduate leadership elective course to describe how students view the effectiveness and impact of pedagogies used in the course. Undergraduate students (n = 28) reflected on the effectiveness of the pedagogies and the learning…

Video Episodes and Action Cameras in the Undergraduate Chemistry Laboratory: Eliciting Student Perceptions of Meaningful Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Galloway, Kelli R.; Bretz, Stacey Lowery

2016-01-01

A series of quantitative studies investigated undergraduate students' perceptions of their cognitive and affective learning in the undergraduate chemistry laboratory. To explore these quantitative findings, a qualitative research protocol was developed to characterize student learning in the undergraduate chemistry laboratory. Students (N = 13)…

Student nurse perceptions of risk in relation to international placements: a phenomenological research study.

PubMed

Morgan, Debra A

2012-11-01

International nursing electives have been identified as a positive learning experience for students. However, whilst there are risks associated with international student placements in general, there is a scarcity of research specifically relating to student nurse's experiences of risk. This study aimed to investigate UK undergraduate student nurse experiences of risk during an international placement. A phenomenological methodology was applied and semi-structured interviews were conducted with student nurses who had recently returned from an international clinical placement abroad. Ten, second year student nurses, studying on a pre-registration diploma/BSc (Hons) Nursing Studies/Registered Nurse programme from one UK University participated in the study. Findings from the study highlighted that students felt that three types of risk existed; physical risk, clinical-professional risk and socio-cultural risk. Perceptions of risk were influenced by sociological theory relating to the concept of 'the other' and students attempted to reduce risk by employing strategies to reduce 'Otherness'. They also applied psychological theory relating to heuristics such as 'safety in numbers.' It also emerged from the study that exposure to perceived risk enhanced learning as students reported that it encouraged personal and professional development in particular and so assisted students in their move toward self-actualisation. It is suggested, and intended, that findings from this study can be applied to the preparation of students to further enhance their safety and learning experience during international placements abroad. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Case-based learning and simulation: useful tools to enhance nurses' education? Nonrandomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Raurell-Torredà, Marta; Olivet-Pujol, Josep; Romero-Collado, Àngel; Malagon-Aguilera, Maria Carmen; Patiño-Masó, Josefina; Baltasar-Bagué, Alícia

2015-01-01

To compare skills acquired by undergraduate nursing students enrolled in a medical-surgical course. To compare skills demonstrated by students with no previous clinical practice (undergraduates) and nurses with clinical experience enrolled in continuing professional education (CPE). In a nonrandomized clinical trial, 101 undergraduates enrolled in the "Adult Patients 1" course were assigned to the traditional lecture and discussion (n = 66) or lecture and discussion plus case-based learning (n = 35) arm of the study; 59 CPE nurses constituted a comparison group to assess the effects of previous clinical experience on learning outcomes. Scores on an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE), using a human patient simulator and cases validated by the National League for Nursing, were compared for the undergraduate control and intervention groups, and for CPE nurses (Student's t test). Controls scored lower than the intervention group on patient assessment (6.3 ± 2.3 vs 7.5 ± 1.4, p = .04, mean difference, -1.2 [95% confidence interval (CI) -2.4 to -0.03]) but the intervention group did not differ from CPE nurses (7.5 ± 1.4 vs 8.8 ± 1.5, p = .06, mean difference, -1.3 [95% CI -2.6 to 0.04]). The CPE nurses committed more "rules-based errors" than did undergraduates, specifically patient identifications (77.2% vs 55%, p = .7) and checking allergies before administering medication (68.2% vs 60%, p = .1). The intervention group developed better patient assessment skills than the control group. Case-based learning helps to standardize the process, which can contribute to quality and consistency in practice: It is essential to correctly identify a problem in order to treat it. Clinical experience of CPE nurses was not associated with better adherence to safety protocols. Case-based learning improves the patient assessment skills of undergraduate nursing students, thereby preparing them for clinical practice. © 2014 Sigma Theta Tau International.

Changes of Explicit and Implicit Stigma in Medical Students during Psychiatric Clerkship.

PubMed

Wang, Peng-Wei; Ko, Chih-Hung; Chen, Cheng-Sheng; Yang, Yi-Hsin Connine; Lin, Huang-Chi; Cheng, Cheng-Chung; Tsang, Hin-Yeung; Wu, Ching-Kuan; Yen, Cheng-Fang

2016-04-01

This study examines the differences in explicit and implicit stigma between medical and non-medical undergraduate students at baseline; the changes of explicit and implicit stigma in medical undergraduate and non-medical undergraduate students after a 1-month psychiatric clerkship and 1-month follow-up period; and the differences in the changes of explicit and implicit stigma between medical and non-medical undergraduate students. Seventy-two medical undergraduate students and 64 non-medical undergraduate students were enrolled. All participants were interviewed at intake and after 1 month. The Taiwanese version of the Stigma Assessment Scale and the Implicit Association Test were used to measure the participants' explicit and implicit stigma. Neither explicit nor implicit stigma differed between two groups at baseline. The medical, but not the non-medical, undergraduate students had a significant decrease in explicit stigma during the 1-month period of follow-up. Neither the medical nor the non-medical undergraduate students exhibited a significant change in implicit stigma during the one-month of follow-up, however. There was an interactive effect between group and time on explicit stigma but not on implicit stigma. Explicit but not implicit stigma toward mental illness decreased in the medical undergraduate students after a psychiatric clerkship. Further study is needed to examine how to improve implicit stigma toward mental illness.

An assessment of dental students’ empathy levels in Malaysia

PubMed Central

Babar, Muneer G.; Omar, Hanan; Lim, Lee P.; Khan, Saad A.; Mitha, Shahid; Ahmad, Siti F.B.

2013-01-01

Objectives To examine the validity and reliability of the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Care Provider Student version (JSE-HPS) in a sample of dental students in Malaysia, with the secondary aim of assessing empathy levels in first to final year dental students in public and private universities in Malaysia. Methods The JSE-HPS was administered to 582 first to fifth (final) year dental students; 441 were enrolled at two public universities and 141 at a private university in Malaysia. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were performed using SPSS® version 18. Results The JSE-HPS demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.70). A three-factor solution emerged and included ‘perspective taking’, ‘compassionate care’ and ‘standing in patient’s shoes’ factors, accounting for 27.7%, 13.9%, and 6.3% of the variance, respectively. The total mean empathy score was 84.11±9.80, where the actual scores ranged from a low of 22.05 to a high of 133.35. Overall, male students (84.97±11.12) were more empathic than female students (83.78±9.24). Fourth-year students were more empathic than students in other undergraduate years, and public university students had significantly higher mean empathy score compared to those enrolled at a private university (84.74 versus 82.13, p=0.001). Conclusions This study confirms the construct validity and internal consistency of the JSE-HPS for measuring empathy in dental students. Empathy scores among students vary depending on type of university and year of study. Future studies, preferably longitudinal in design should explore changes in empathy among dental students during progression through undergraduate courses.

Making space part of general education

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Horan, Stephen

1992-01-01

General education reform is on-going at many universities to, in part, make undergraduate students more technically literate. The space program provides an area of study that is still exciting to students, provides technical content, and can incorporate the other goals. Additionally, human space activity contains international and interdisciplinary dimensions that can reach students outside of the technical disciplines. The development and contents of a space education course to become part of the university's general education program open to all students is presented. Included in the presentation is a listing of the course materials to be used by the students.

Internationalization of the animal science undergraduate curriculum: a survey of its current status, barriers to its implementation and its value.

PubMed

Forsberg, N E; Taur, J S; Xiao, Y; Chesbrough, H

2003-04-01

The goal of this project was to identify the current level at which internationalization has been adopted as a theme in the North American animal science curriculum and to identify its value and the barriers to its implementation. We surveyed animal, dairy, and poultry science departments across Canada and the United States. One hundred twenty-four surveys were mailed and 60% were returned. Associations between aspects of internationalization and student outcomes (admission to veterinary and graduate schools and starting salaries) were examined. Although administrators strongly believed internationalization had value, implementation was limited. The most common practices included international content in core animal science classes, advising, international internships, and participation of faculty in international scholarly activities. Few departments have incorporated internationalization into their mission statements or developed a specific international-themed class, scholarships devoted to international activities, or roles for international students. Few departments reported participation of students in international programs. Barriers included finances and limited commitment from higher administration. Student outcomes were positively associated with faculty size, percentage of international faculty, the ratio of international students to the total student population, international content in core animal science classes, a specific international-themed class, availability of international internships, and exchange of class material internationally via the Internet. Departments that did not offer international opportunities had a negative association (r = -0.79) with starting salary, but these relationships may not be causal. Alternatively, progressive departments may attract and retain exceptional students. The analysis indicated an awareness of the value of international programs, positive impacts in student outcomes, and financial barriers to implementation.

Increasing Research Productivity in Undergraduate Research Experiences: Exploring Predictors of Collaborative Faculty–Student Publications

PubMed Central

Morales, Danielle X.; Grineski, Sara E.; Collins, Timothy W.

2017-01-01

Little attention has been paid to understanding faculty–student productivity via undergraduate research from the faculty member’s perspective. This study examines predictors of faculty–student publications resulting from mentored undergraduate research, including measures of faculty–student collaboration, faculty commitment to undergraduate students, and faculty characteristics. Generalized estimating equations were used to analyze data from 468 faculty members across 13 research-intensive institutions, collected by a cross-sectional survey in 2013/2014. Results show that biomedical faculty mentors were more productive in publishing collaboratively with undergraduate students when they worked with students for more than 1 year on average, enjoyed teaching students about research, had mentored Black students, had received more funding from the National Institutes of Health, had a higher H-index scores, and had more years of experience working in higher education. This study suggests that college administrators and research program directors should strive to create incentives for faculty members to collaborate with undergraduate students and promote faculty awareness that undergraduates can contribute to their research. PMID:28747352

A progressive three-phase innovation to medical education in the United States.

PubMed

Pfeifer, Cory M

2018-12-01

The practice of medicine has changed greatly over the past 100 years, yet the structure of undergraduate medical education has evolved very little. Many schools have modified their curricula to incorporate problem-based learning and organ systems-based curricula, but few schools have adequately addressed rising tuition costs. Undergraduate medical education has become cost-prohibitive for students interested in primary care. In the meanwhile, the concept of a separate dedicated intern year is outdated and mired in waste despite remaining a requirement for several hospital-based and surgical specialties. Described here is an innovative approach to medical education which reduces tuition costs and maximizes efficiency, based on principals already employed by several schools. This integrated curriculum, first suggested by the author in 2010, keeps the current USMLE system in place, exposes medical students to patient care earlier, expands and incorporates the 'intern' year into a four-year medical training program, provides more time for students to decide on a specialty, and allows residency programs to acquire fully-licensed practitioners with greater clinical experience than the status quo. MCAT: Medical college admission test; USMLE: US medical licensing examination.

Preparing graduate student teaching assistants in the sciences: An intensive workshop focused on active learning.

PubMed

Roden, Julie A; Jakob, Susanne; Roehrig, Casey; Brenner, Tamara J

2018-03-12

In the past ten years, increasing evidence has demonstrated that scientific teaching and active learning improve student retention and learning gains in the sciences. Graduate teaching assistants (GTAs), who play an important role in undergraduate education at many universities, require training in these methods to encourage implementation, long-term adoption, and advocacy. Here, we describe the design and evaluation of a two-day training workshop for first-year GTAs in the life sciences. This workshop combines instruction in current research and theory supporting teaching science through active learning as well as opportunities for participants to practice teaching and receive feedback from peers and mentors. Postworkshop assessments indicated that GTA participants' knowledge of key topics increased during the workshop. In follow-up evaluations, participants reported that the workshop helped them prepare for teaching. This workshop design can easily be adapted to a wide range of science disciplines. Overall, the workshop prepares graduate students to engage, include, and support undergraduates from a variety of backgrounds when teaching in the sciences. © 2018 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2018. © 2018 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Strengthening training in rural practice in Germany: new approach for undergraduate medical curriculum towards sustaining rural health care.

PubMed

Holst, Jens; Normann, Oliver; Herrmann, Markus

2015-01-01

After decades of providing a dense network of quality medical care, Germany is facing an increasing shortage of medical doctors in rural areas. Current graduation rates of generalists do not counterbalance the loss due to retirement. Informed by international evidence, different strategies to ensure rural medical care are under debate, including innovative teaching approaches during undergraduate training. The University of Magdeburg in Saxony-Anhalt was the first medical school in Germany to offer a rural elective for graduate students. During the 2014 summer semester, 14 medical students attended a two-weekend program in a small village in Northern Saxony-Anhalt that allowed them to become more familiar with a rural community and rural health issues. The elective course raised a series of relevant topics for setting up rural practice and provided students with helpful insight into living and working conditions in rural practice. Preliminary evaluations indicate that the rural medicine course allowed medical students to reduce pre-existing concerns and had positive impact on their willingness to set up a rural medical office after graduation. Even short-term courses in rural practice can help reduce training-related barriers that prevent young physicians from working in rural areas. Undergraduate medical training is promising to attenuate the emerging undersupply in rural areas.

[Supply and demand of clinical practice fields for training undergraduate health sciences students in Peru, 2005-2009].

PubMed

Alva, Javier; Verastegui, George; Velasquez, Edgar; Pastor, Reyna; Moscoso, Betsy

2011-06-01

To describe the supply and demand of clinical fields for undergraduate students of Peru. A descriptive study was considering as supply of clinical fields the total number of existing hospital beds in Peru. The demand was calculated using the total number of alumni registered in health science carrers following the clinical years or the internship. We calculated the number of beds per student and the coverage of clinical fields nationally and in some selected regions (Lima, Arequipa, La Libertad and Lambayeque). In 2009, Peru had 34,539 hospital beds, 78.5% of which pertained to the public sector and 48.4% are from Lima. We estimated that in 2008 44,032 alumni needed clinical fields, 70% from private universities, which grew 65% since 2005. The coverage of clinical fields, considering only interns from four carreers (medicine, nursery, obstetrics and dentistry) was only 31.5% at the national level. The number of beds per student oscillated between 0.5 in La Libertad to 0.82 in Lima with a national mean of 0.45. The supply of clinical fields for teaching undergraduates is insufficient to satisfy the demand, which continues to grow because of private universities, and hence requires urgent regulation.

A Comparison of Internal Dispositions and Career Trajectories after Collaborative versus Apprenticed Research Experiences for Undergraduates.

PubMed

Frantz, Kyle J; Demetrikopoulos, Melissa K; Britner, Shari L; Carruth, Laura L; Williams, Brian A; Pecore, John L; DeHaan, Robert L; Goode, Christopher T

2017-01-01

Undergraduate research experiences confer benefits on students bound for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers, but the low number of research professionals available to serve as mentors often limits access to research. Within the context of our summer research program (BRAIN), we tested the hypothesis that a team-based collaborative learning model (CLM) produces student outcomes at least as positive as a traditional apprenticeship model (AM). Through stratified, random assignment to conditions, CLM students were designated to work together in a teaching laboratory to conduct research according to a defined curriculum led by several instructors, whereas AM students were paired with mentors in active research groups. We used pre-, mid-, and postprogram surveys to measure internal dispositions reported to predict progress toward STEM careers, such as scientific research self-efficacy, science identity, science anxiety, and commitment to a science career. We are also tracking long-term retention in science-related career paths. For both short- and longer-term outcomes, the two program formats produced similar benefits, supporting our hypothesis that the CLM provides positive outcomes while conserving resources, such as faculty mentors. We discuss this method in comparison with course-based undergraduate research and recommend its expansion to institutional settings in which mentor resources are scarce. © 2017 K. J. Frantz et al. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2017 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Development and validation of a questionnaire to evaluate infection control in oral radiology

PubMed Central

Pinelli, Camila; da Silva Tagliaferro, Elaine P; Corrente, José E; Ambrosano, Glaucia M B

2017-01-01

Objectives: To create and validate a questionnaire to evaluate infection control in oral radiology. Methods: The questionnaire was developed after review of the literature, which included published articles and the biosafety protocols available from healthcare agencies. The initial version of the questionnaire was composed of 14 multiple choice questions and was divided into 3 domains on handwashing, disinfection/protection of surfaces and disinfectant used. Content validity was assessed by two expert committees, which reviewed the content and scope of the questionnaire and the relevance of each item, respectively. Reliability was evaluated using test–retest and internal consistency methods with 115 undergraduate dentistry students. Construct validity was assessed using the known-groups technique and factor analysis. The known-groups technique involved 641 undergraduate dentistry students, 20 PhD students and 15 oral radiology professors. In the factor analysis, 3 radiology technicians also participated in addition to the 641 undergraduates, 20 PhD students and 15 oral radiology professors. Results: The content validity results were found to be satisfactory to excellent for the ordinal variables (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.722–1.000) and good to great for the yes/no questions (kappa = 0.662–0.913) in terms of reliability and good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.88). After a factor analysis, some questions were excluded, and the questions were grouped into new domains. Significant differences were observed between answers from different groups. The final version of the questionnaire was composed of nine domains. Conclusions: The questionnaire created was found to exhibit good psychometric properties for assessing infection control in oral radiology. PMID:28112553

Comparison of two different techniques of cooperative learning approach: Undergraduates' conceptual understanding in the context of hormone biochemistry.

PubMed

Mutlu, Ayfer

2018-03-01

The purpose of the research was to compare the effects of two different techniques of the cooperative learning approach, namely Team-Game Tournament and Jigsaw, on undergraduates' conceptual understanding in a Hormone Biochemistry course. Undergraduates were randomly assigned to Group 1 (N = 23) and Group 2 (N = 29). Instructions were accomplished using Team-Game Tournament in Group 1 and Jigsaw in Group 2. Before the instructions, all groups were informed about cooperative learning and techniques, their responsibilities in the learning process and accessing of resources. Instructions were conducted under the guidance of the researcher for nine weeks and the Hormone Concept Test developed by the researcher was used before and after the instructions for data collection. According to the results, while both techniques improved students' understanding, Jigsaw was more effective than Team-Game Tournament. © 2017 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 46(2):114-120, 2018. © 2017 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

A research project-based and self-determined teaching system of molecular biology techniques for undergraduates.

PubMed

Zhang, Shuping

2008-05-01

Molecular biology techniques play a very important role in understanding the biological activity. Students who major in biology should know not only how to perform experiments, but also the reasons for performing them. Having the concept of conducting research by integrating various techniques is especially important. This paper introduces a research project-based and self-determined teaching system of molecular biology techniques for undergraduates. Its aim is to create an environment mimicking real research programs and to help students build up confidence in their research skills. The students are allowed to explore a set of commonly used molecular biology techniques to solve some fundamental problems about genes on their own. They find a gene of interest, write a mini-proposal, and give an oral presentation. This course provides students a foundation before entering the research laboratory and allows them to adapt easily to real research programs. Copyright © 2008 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Students' perceptions of their education on graduation from a dental school in India.

PubMed

Shetty, Vittaldas B; Shirahatti, Ravi V; Pawar, Prakash

2012-11-01

This study was conducted with the purpose of assessing students' perceived learning experience at the time of graduation from a dental school in India. The domains appraised were undergraduate curriculum, student motivation and support services, institutional infrastructure, administrative services, components of teaching-learning programs, confidence level in carrying out specific clinical procedures, career choice, and postgraduate specialty preference after graduation. The authors surveyed forty-five dental interns at the end of their undergraduate course, a 100 percent response rate from the class. The results showed that over 95 percent of the graduates were satisfied with the curriculum and 60 to 95 percent reported that the various components of the teaching-learning process were adequate. Only 42 percent of the students were confident about setting up a practice; 65 percent wished to take a course on general dentistry; and 86 percent wanted to pursue postgraduate study. The principal conclusions were that although the program was satisfactory to the majority of participants, some areas of concern were identified that need improvement.

The Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory Summer Student Programs in La Serena, Chile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaleida, Catherine C.; Smith, C.; Van Der Bliek, N. S.; James, D.

2014-01-01

The Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) offers positions for U.S. and Chilean student interns during the Chilean summer months of January-March (northern winter semester) at the CTIO offices in La Serena, Chile. CTIO is part of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) of the United States, focused on the development of astronomy in the southern hemisphere. Six undergraduate research assistantships are offered for U.S. physics and astronomy undergraduate students through the NSF-funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program. The CTIO-funded Prácticas de Investigación en Astronomía (PIA) program is run concurrently with the REU program, and offers two research assistantships for Chilean undergraduate or 1st or 2nd year masters students, also at the CTIO offices in La Serena, Chile. The CTIO REU and PIA programs provide exceptional opportunities for students considering a career in astronomy to engage in substantive research activities with scientists working at the forefront of contemporary astrophysics. Student participants work on specific research projects in close collaboration with members of the CTIO scientific and technical staff, such as galaxy clusters, gravitational lensing, supernovae, planetary nebulae, stellar populations, star clusters, star formation, variable stars and interstellar medium. The CTIO REU and PIA programs emphasize observational techniques and provide opportunities for direct observational experience using CTIO's state-of-the-art telescopes and instrumentation. The programs run for 10 weeks, from mid-January to the end of March. A two-night observing run on Cerro Tololo and a field trip to another observatory in Chile are included for students of both programs. These positions are full time, and those selected will receive a modest stipend and subsidized housing on the grounds of the offices of CTIO in La Serena, as well as travel costs to and from La Serena. In addition, the students have the opportunity attend the American Astronomical Society (AAS) winter meeting to present their research the year following the program.

A Comparison of Student Confidence Levels in Open Access and Undergraduate University Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atherton, Mirella

2017-01-01

Confidence levels of students enrolled in open access programs and undergraduate courses were measured at the University of Newcastle. The open access science students aimed to gain access to undergraduate studies in various disciplines at University. The undergraduate students were enrolled in a variety of degrees and were surveyed during their…

The SARA REU Site Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wood, M. A.; Oswalt, T. D.; SARA Collaboration

2000-12-01

We present an overview of the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site Program hosted by the Southeastern Association for Research in Astronomy (SARA) for the past 6 years. SARA is a consortium of the six universities: Florida Institute of Technology, East Tennessee State University, Florida International University, The University of Georgia, Valdosta State University, and Clemson University. We host 10-11 student interns per year out of an application pool of ~150-200. Recruiting flyers are sent to the ~3400 undergraduate institutions in the United States, and we use a web-based application form and review process. We are a distributed REU Site, but come together for group meetings at the beginning and end of the summer program and stay in contact in between using email list manager software. Interns complete a research project working one-on-one with a faculty mentor, and each intern travels to observe at the SARA Observatory at Kitt Peak National Observatory. Interns give both oral and display presentations of their results at the final group meeting. In addition, all interns write a paper for publication in the IAPPP Communications, an international amateur-professional journal, and several present at professional meetings and in refereed publications. We include in the group meetings a ``how-to'' session on giving talks and posters, an Ethics Session, and a session on Women in Astronomy. This work was supported by the NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site Program through grant AST 96169939 to The Florida Institute of Technology.

A physiologist's view of homeostasis

PubMed Central

Cliff, William; Michael, Joel; McFarland, Jenny; Wenderoth, Mary Pat; Wright, Ann

2015-01-01

Homeostasis is a core concept necessary for understanding the many regulatory mechanisms in physiology. Claude Bernard originally proposed the concept of the constancy of the “milieu interieur,” but his discussion was rather abstract. Walter Cannon introduced the term “homeostasis” and expanded Bernard's notion of “constancy” of the internal environment in an explicit and concrete way. In the 1960s, homeostatic regulatory mechanisms in physiology began to be described as discrete processes following the application of engineering control system analysis to physiological systems. Unfortunately, many undergraduate texts continue to highlight abstract aspects of the concept rather than emphasizing a general model that can be specifically and comprehensively applied to all homeostatic mechanisms. As a result, students and instructors alike often fail to develop a clear, concise model with which to think about such systems. In this article, we present a standard model for homeostatic mechanisms to be used at the undergraduate level. We discuss common sources of confusion (“sticky points”) that arise from inconsistencies in vocabulary and illustrations found in popular undergraduate texts. Finally, we propose a simplified model and vocabulary set for helping undergraduate students build effective mental models of homeostatic regulation in physiological systems. PMID:26628646

Undergraduate medical students' attitudes towards psychiatry: an international cross-sectional survey between India and Japan.

PubMed

Kato, Takahiro A; Balhara, Yatan Pal Singh; Chawla, Jatinder Mohan; Tateno, Masaru; Kanba, Shigenobu

2013-08-01

Undergraduate psychiatric education has an important role in developing psychiatric knowledge, decreasing stigma towards mental illness, and promoting psychiatry as a career choice. The attitudes and beliefs of medical students towards psychiatry have not been well understood, especially in non-western countries. To clarify this aspect, we have conducted a cross-sectional study between India and Japan. This study, conducted at two centres, one each in India and Japan, used a semi-structured questionnaire to evaluate the attitudes and beliefs of third-year medical students towards mental illness and psychiatry; such as emotions experienced dealing with psychiatric patients, aetiology and treatment of psychiatric disorders, and psychiatry as a career choice. A total of 79 medical students from India and 77 from Japan participated in the present study. Significant differences were observed in the emotions experienced by the medical students while dealing with psychiatric patients. Most medical students (> 90%) from both study sites favoured psychiatrists for treatment of psychiatric illness. Psychiatry as a carrier choice was significantly related to the nationality of the medical students. The findings of the current study provide insight in to the attitudes of third-year medical students from India and Japan towards psychiatric patients.

Evaluating the effectiveness of a practical inquiry-based learning bioinformatics module on undergraduate student engagement and applied skills.

PubMed

Brown, James A L

2016-05-06

A pedagogic intervention, in the form of an inquiry-based peer-assisted learning project (as a practical student-led bioinformatics module), was assessed for its ability to increase students' engagement, practical bioinformatic skills and process-specific knowledge. Elements assessed were process-specific knowledge following module completion, qualitative student-based module evaluation and the novelty, scientific validity and quality of written student reports. Bioinformatics is often the starting point for laboratory-based research projects, therefore high importance was placed on allowing students to individually develop and apply processes and methods of scientific research. Students led a bioinformatic inquiry-based project (within a framework of inquiry), discovering, justifying and exploring individually discovered research targets. Detailed assessable reports were produced, displaying data generated and the resources used. Mimicking research settings, undergraduates were divided into small collaborative groups, with distinctive central themes. The module was evaluated by assessing the quality and originality of the students' targets through reports, reflecting students' use and understanding of concepts and tools required to generate their data. Furthermore, evaluation of the bioinformatic module was assessed semi-quantitatively using pre- and post-module quizzes (a non-assessable activity, not contributing to their grade), which incorporated process- and content-specific questions (indicative of their use of the online tools). Qualitative assessment of the teaching intervention was performed using post-module surveys, exploring student satisfaction and other module specific elements. Overall, a positive experience was found, as was a post module increase in correct process-specific answers. In conclusion, an inquiry-based peer-assisted learning module increased students' engagement, practical bioinformatic skills and process-specific knowledge. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 44:304-313 2016. © 2016 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Profile of 1 year of fieldwork experiences for undergraduate occupational therapy students from a large regional Australian university.

PubMed

Mackenzie, Lynette; O'Toole, Gjyn

2017-10-01

Objective Fieldwork experience is a significant component of many health professional education programs and affects future practice for graduates. The present study used self-reported student data to produce a profile of undergraduate student placement experiences. Methods Cross-sectional surveys exploring placement location, setting and client types, models of supervision, interventions and financial costs were completed by students following each placement. Data were analysed using descriptive analysis. Results Placements were predominantly conducted outside capital cities (69.8%; n=184), with 25.8% (n=68) in rural settings. Students experienced predominantly public health in-patient settings and community settings, with only 15% experiencing private settings. Conclusions The placement profile of undergraduate occupational therapy students appeared to be consistent with workforce reports on occupational therapy professional practice. What is known about the topic? Fieldwork experienced by health professional students is critical to preparing new graduates for practice. Although the World Federation of Occupational Therapy provides guidance on what is required for occupational therapy fieldwork experience, little is known about what students actually experience during their fieldwork placements. What does this paper add? The present study is the first to document the range of fieldwork experienced by occupational therapy students in one program over 1 year, and provides the basis for comparison with other occupational therapy programs, as well as other disciplines nationally and internationally. What are the implications for practitioners? Occupational therapy students experienced few opportunities in private practice or speciality services, and had mostly one-on-one supervision. To provide a future workforce that is able to address the changing health system, it is vital that students are exposed to a range of fieldwork experiences and supervision styles that replicate the demands of future practice.

Memorable Messages as Guides to Self-Assessment of Behavior: The Role of Instrumental Values.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Sandi W.; Ellis, Jennifer Butler; Yoo, Hyo-Jin

2001-01-01

Uses control theory to predict how important instrumental values and internalized memorable messages work together when undergraduate students self-assess their previous behavior. Finds none of the four higher-order value factors predicted the hypothesized relationships among values, messages, and behaviors; but the value of…

Criterion-Referenced Exit Examinations: An Institution's Internal Process for Psychometric Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lieneck, Cristian; Morrison, Eileen; Price, Larry

2013-01-01

The Texas State University-San Marcos undergraduate healthcare administration program requires all bachelors of health administration (BHA) students to pass a comprehensive examination to demonstrate their knowledge of specific core competencies. This also demonstrates completion of their didactic coursework in order to enter a practical…

Synergy across the Curriculum: Simulating the Institution of Postwar Iraqi Government

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Austin, W. Chadwick; McDowell, Todd; Sacko, David H.

2006-01-01

This article describes an undergraduate simulation that formulates Iraqi regimes following the removal of Saddam Hussein's Baathist regime. This exercise reinforces student comprehension and awareness for a range of legal and political topics--including group decision making, international law, diplomacy, and human rights--by actively engaging the…

Building Global Health Research Competencies at the Undergraduate Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hatfield, Jennifer M.; Hecker, Kent G.; Jensen, Ashley E.

2009-01-01

Faculty from the University of Calgary's bachelor of health sciences (BHSc) Global Health Program argue for the development of "global health research competencies" to prepare students for international placements in low- and middle-income countries. These competencies include the ability to define and describe (a) how to use the concept…

Building Collaborative Research Opportunities into Study Abroad Programs: A Case Study from Panama

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Solís, Patricia; Price, Marie; Adames de Newbill, María

2015-01-01

As universities increase their international study opportunities, enormous potential exists to create geography field courses that provide undergraduates and graduate students with primary research experience and intercultural collaboration. This paper draws from our experience leading a two-week collaborative field course in Panama. We outline…

NSU Undergraduate Student Tuition and Fees

Science.gov Websites

Mailman Segal Center for Human Development Ron and Kathy Assaf College of Nursing Shepard Broad College of . Continuing Education Financial Aid Career Development Regional Campuses International Affairs Veterans Arts and culture on campus including theatre, music, and art. Campus Housing Off-Campus Housing Campus

Learning Stress Distribution in Soils Using a Digital Multimedia Tool.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

da Silva Ferreira, Ronaldo

The available technologies of microcomputers and international communication - Internet, are powerful sources for the Teaching and Learning Process. Undergraduate courses can take advantage of these resources to help students and teachers in the classroom. Thinking on this the Project REESC - Reengineering of Engineering Education in Santa…

Assessing the Approaches to Learning of Nigerian Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watkins, David; Akande, Adebowale

1992-01-01

A study investigated the reliability and validity of the Study Process Questionnaire (Biggs) for 352 undergraduates in a Nigerian university. Although it was found that the concepts involved were relevant to this population and scales and subscales had adequate internal consistency, cross-cultural comparison of scores was problematic. (Author/MSE)

Understanding Initial Undergraduate Expectations and Identity in Computing Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kinnunen, Päivi; Butler, Matthew; Morgan, Michael; Nylen, Aletta; Peters, Anne-Kathrin; Sinclair, Jane; Kalvala, Sara; Pesonen, Erkki

2018-01-01

There is growing appreciation of the importance of understanding the student perspective in Higher Education (HE) at both institutional and international levels. This is particularly important in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics subjects such as Computer Science (CS) and Engineering in which industry needs are high but so are…

Mapping the Gaps in Services for L2 Writers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patton, Martha Davis

2011-01-01

Given complaints about preparation of international students for their writing-intensive courses, a director of first-year writing and an undergraduate researcher at a Midwestern research university conducted a needs assessment based on Kaufman's model. Instruments used included a survey, interviews, and analysis of commentary on sample papers.…

Education-Related Factors in Cultural Intelligence Development: A Colombian Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robledo-Ardila, Cristina; Aguilar-Barrientos, Sara; Román-Calderón, Juan Pablo

2016-01-01

This article reports the results of a study inquiring about the role of education-related factors in the development of cultural intelligence. Five hundred fifty-seven students of a Colombian international business (IB) undergraduate program participated in the study. The psychometric properties of the measures were assessed by conducting…

Peer Assisted Study Sessions for Postgraduate International Students in Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zaccagnini, Melissa; Verenikina, Irina

2013-01-01

Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS), a peer led academic support program that has multiple documented academic, social, and transition benefits, is increasingly being utilised in Australian institutions. Whilst PASS has been evaluated from multiple angles in regard to the undergraduate cohort, there is limited research regarding the benefits of…

The impacts and "best practices" of undergraduate - graduate student mentoring relationships in undergraduate research experiences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campanile, Megan Faurot

With the growth of undergraduate research in the U.S., over the past two decades, faculty are more often assigning graduate students to mentor undergraduate students than providing the one-on-one mentoring themselves. A critical gap that exists in the literature is how undergraduate -- graduate student mentoring relationships in undergraduate research influences both students' academic and career paths. The research questions that framed this study were: (1) What, if any, changes occur in the academic and career paths of undergraduate and graduate students who participate in undergraduate research experiences? and (2) Are there variables that constitute "best practices" in the mentoring relationships in undergraduate research experiences and, if so, what are they? The study context was the National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates program at Illinois Institute of Technology and the 113 undergraduate researchers and 31 graduate student mentors who participated from 2006 -- 2014. Surveys and interviews were administered to collect pre- and post-program data and follow-up data during the 2014 -- 2015 academic year. Descriptive statistics, content analysis method, and constant comparative method were used to analyze the data. Key findings on the undergraduate researchers were their actual earned graduate degree types (Ph.D. 20%, M.D. 20%, M.S. 48%, other 12%) and fields (STEM 57%, medical 35%, other 8%) and the careers they were pursuing or working in. All the graduate student mentors were pursuing or working in the STEM fields (academia 50%, industry 40%, government 10%). More than 75% of both the undergraduate and graduate students reported that their mentoring relationships had a somewhat to extremely influential impact on their academic and career paths. A set of "best practices" of mentoring were developed for both the undergraduate and graduate students and focused on the mentoring experiences related to learning and teaching about research; relationship dynamics and roles; and, planning, practicing, and preparing for the future. Future studies recommended include additional longitudinal studies and comparative studies of programs with and without mentor training. Ultimately, by improving the mentoring relationships in undergraduate research it has the potential to improve both undergraduate and graduate education and produce a more highly qualified U.S. STEM workforce. oth undergraduate and graduate education and produce a more highly qualified U.S. STEM workforce.

Students' epistemological beliefs, expectations, and learning physics: An international comparison

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, Sapna; Ahluwalia, P. K.; Sharma, S. K.

2013-06-01

It has been established by physics education researchers that there is a correlation between the learner’s behavior, their epistemological beliefs with which they come to the classrooms, and their success in a course. This study of Indian students and teachers explores expectations and beliefs in learning physics at the secondary and tertiary levels by making use of the Maryland Physics Expectation (MPEX) survey, which has been tested for both its validity and its reliability. The MPEX was administered to a sample of 265 Indian students at three different levels of study: (i) XII standard (high school), (ii) undergraduate (Bachelor of Science), and (iii) master’s degree (Master of Science in Physics, MS). In India, a pre-post instruction difference between the attitudes of class XII, undergraduate, and master’s students is observed with favorable improvement in master’s students as compared to deterioration in both class XII and undergraduate students. A comparison of these results with those reported in similar studies conducted in four other countries (U.S., Turkey, Philippines, and Thailand) indicates that there is a difference between the U.S. students and those of the other three countries and also between U.S. experts and Indian teachers. In all countries (U.S., India, Turkey, Thailand, and Philippines) the basic trend of expectation from pre to post test remained the same—there was a deterioration observed in all levels of students. Indian MS students were an exception. A significant difference was observed in the expectations of U.S. experts and Indian teachers. The score of favorable views of Indian class XII and undergraduate students was observed to be less than U.S. students in many clusters. No significant difference was found between Indian male and female students’ expectations at any level of study. This study shows that most Indian students have nowhere near an expert’s expectations even after instruction, which might affect their motivation and success in physics courses and may have long-term implications on the quality of physics education in schools, colleges. and universities and the scientific research aspirations of the country.

Training Undergraduate Physics Peer Tutors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nossal, S. M.; Jacob, A. T.

2004-05-01

The University of Wisconsin's Physics Peer Mentor Tutor Program matches upper level undergraduate physics students in small study groups with students studying introductory algebra-based physics. We work with students who are potentially at-risk for having academic trouble with the course. They include students with a low exam score, learning disabilities, no high school physics, weak math backgrounds, and/or on academic probation. We also work with students from groups under represented in the sciences and who may be feeling isolated or marginal on campus such as minority, returning adult, and international students. The tutors provide a supportive learning environment, extra practice problems, and an overview of key concepts. In so doing, they help our students to build confidence and problem solving skills applicable to physics and other areas of their academic careers. The Physics Peer Mentor Tutor Program is modeled after a similar program for chemistry created by the University of Wisconsin's Chemistry Learning Center. Both programs are now run in collaboration. The tutors are chosen for their academic strength and excellent communication skills. Our tutors are majoring in physics, math, and secondary-level science education. The tutors receive ongoing training and supervision throughout the year. They attend weekly discipline-specific meetings to discuss strategies for teaching the content currently being discussed in the physics course. They also participate in a weekly teaching seminar with science tutors from chemistry and biochemistry to discuss teaching methods, mentoring, and general information relating to the students with whom we work. We will describe an overview of the Physics Peer Mentor Tutor Program with a focus on the teacher training program for our undergraduate tutors.

Paramedic and midwifery student exposure to workplace violence during clinical placements in Australia - A pilot study.

PubMed

Boyle, Malcolm; McKenna, Lisa

2016-12-11

  The objective of this pilot study was to identify the type of workplace violence experienced by undergraduate paramedic and midwifery students. The study used a cross-sectional methodology with the self-administered paper-based Paramedic Workplace Violence Exposure Questionnaire to elicit undergraduate paramedic and midwife responses to workplace violence whilst on clinical placements. There were 393 students eligible for inclusion in the study. A convenience sample was used. The anonymous questionnaire took 10 to 20 minutes to complete. Descriptive statistics are used to summarise the data with a two-tailed t-test used to compare groups. The main form of workplace violence was verbal abuse 18% and intimidation 17%.  There was a statistically significant difference between midwifery and paramedic students for intimidation (t (134) =-3.143, CI: -0.367 to -0.082, p=0.002) and between females and males for sexual harassment (t (134) =2.029, CI: 0.001 to 0.074, p=0.045), all other results were not statistically different. This pilot study is the first of its kind in Australia and internationally to identify exposure rates of workplace violence by undergraduate paramedic students during clinical placements and one of very few to identify midwifery students' exposure rates of workplace violence. The study identified that students were exposed to a range of workplace violence acts from verbal abuse through to sexual harassment. These findings highlight a need for investigation of workplace violence exposure of medical, nursing and allied health students during the clinical phase of their studies.

Fostering successful interprofessional teamwork through an undergraduate student placement in a secondary school.

PubMed

Fortugno, Mariella; Chandra, Smriti; Espin, Sherry; Gucciardi, Enza

2013-07-01

This exploratory case study examined an interprofessional placement of undergraduate students from nutrition, nursing, early childhood education, and child and youth care who collaborated to develop and deliver four healthy-living modules to secondary school students in Canada. An inductive thematic analysis was used to describe the teamwork that occurred between students. Data collected included focus groups with undergraduate students and preceptors, undergraduate students' reflections and secondary school students' evaluations of the modules delivered. Two major themes that emerged from all data sources were "team functioning" and "shift in perspectives". The undergraduate students identified several ways that facilitated their successful and positive teamwork with one another and also expressed how the placement experience improved their interprofessional skills. Findings from this study are discussed in relation to contact theory (Allport, 1954) and self-presentation theory (Goffman, 1963). This study suggests that providing undergraduate students with interprofessional placements in an educational setting can enhance interprofessional teamwork opportunities for students of various disciplines.

[L'impiego dell'ICNP® nella formazione infermieristica con modelli teorici infermieristici: una revisione della letteratura].

PubMed

Macchi, Barbara; Sironi, Cecilia; Di Mauro, Stefania; Ausili, Davide

2016-01-01

The International Classification for Nursing Practice (ICNP®) is the only nursing terminology that has been accepted within the Family of International Classification of the World Health Organization. The academic teaching of ICNP® could contribute to improve nursing clinical practice. However, standards for its implementation in undergraduate nursing education together with a nursing theoretical model are not available. To know the state of the art about the use of ICNP® in undergraduate nursing education and its use with a nursing theoretical model. A narrative literature review was conducted searching main health scientific databases and including monographs, statements from international associations, and published conference papers. Available literature about ICNP® implementation in nursing education and its use with theoretical models is limited. Results supported the organization of a specific course on ICNP® before clinical teaching programs, the development of paper or electronic ICNP® based educational tools, and the use of active learning strategies. Only three experiences reporting the use of ICNP® with theoretical models have been found. Both the use of ICNP® in nursing undergraduate education and its use according to one or more nursing theoretical models, could help students to learn nursing process. However, weak recommendations can be found in the literature to orient ICNP® implementation in undergraduate nursing education and/or with an explicit theoretical framework. Further studies focusing on these issues are strongly needed.

Using social media to promote international student partnerships.

PubMed

Garrett, Bernard M; Cutting, Roger

2012-11-01

This paper describes a project to establish and evaluate online study partnerships, using social networking applications, between final year Canadian nursing students at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and second year undergraduate science education students at the University of Plymouth (UoP) in the UK. The project took place between 2009 and 2010 and evaluated the use of social networking applications with international interdisciplinary partnerships between Canadian and UK students. A multi-method evaluation strategy incorporating questionnaires, online focus groups and web analytics was used to explore the value of social media to promote the exchange of ideas and discussion of scientific philosophy in different contexts, between students working in disciplines with differing philosophical perspectives principally modern/post-modern, quantitative/qualitative, empirical/theoretical. This project resulted in a very successful collaborative partnership between UK and Canadian students. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reporting Misconduct of a Coworker to Protect a Patient: A Comparison between Experienced Nurses and Nursing Students

PubMed Central

Mansbach, Abraham; Kushnir, Talma; Ziedenberg, Hana; Bachner, Yaacov G.

2014-01-01

Purpose. Whistleblowing is the reporting of illegal, immoral, or illegitimate practices to persons or organizations that may affect the action. The current study compares experienced nurses to nursing students regarding their willingness to blow the whistle to protect a patient's interests. Methods. 165 participants were divided into two groups: 82 undergraduate nursing students and 83 experienced nurses. Participants responded to two vignettes that described a colleague's and a manager's misconduct at work. Results. The nursing students perceived the severity of the misconduct significantly lower compared to the experienced nurses. The nursing students also ranked the internal and external whistleblowing indices higher than the nurses, but the differences did not reach statistical significance. For each of the examined internal and external indices, professional experience was found to be significant in multivariate regression analyses. Conclusions. Even though nursing students perceived the severity of the misconduct significantly lower than the experienced nurses, the students demonstrated a greater readiness to blow the whistle, both internally and externally. Recommendations for handling comparable situations are offered. PMID:25379527

Catalog of Training and Education Sources in Concurrent Engineering

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-11-01

Undergraduate degree in engineering or hard science. TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) of 550 or better for international students and GMAT (Graduate...Graduate Record Examination)of 1000 0 (Verbal + Quantitative); TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) of 550 for students whose first language...Graduate Record Examination) and TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) 0 scores. Comments: Recipient of the CASA/SME 1988 University LEAD

2017 ARL Summer Student Program. Volume 1: Symposium Presentations

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-12-01

The findings in this report are not to be construed as an official Department of the Army position unless so designated by other authorized documents...and publicize exceptional achievements made by students and their mentors in support of Army science. All undergraduate and graduate interns are ...finalists are published in Volume I of the proceedings (“Symposium Presentations”; ARL-SR-0387), while abstracts are collected in Volume II (“Compendium of

Effectiveness of an evidence-based practice (EBP) course on the EBP competence of undergraduate nursing students: A quasi-experimental study.

PubMed

Ruzafa-Martínez, María; López-Iborra, Lidón; Armero Barranco, David; Ramos-Morcillo, Antonio Jesús

2016-03-01

International nursing institutions and experts recommend evidence-based practice (EBP) as a core component of the curriculum for nurses. However, the impact of EBP training on the competence of undergraduate nursing students remains unclear. To evaluate the effectiveness of an EBP course on the EBP competence undergraduate nursing students'. Quasi-experimental study carried out in non-randomized intervention and control groups. The study was conducted in a Spanish public university in 2010. Out of 420 second- and third-year nursing students, 75 were enrolled in the EBP course, forming the intervention group, and 73 were not enrolled in this course were recruited as controls. The educational intervention was a 15-week course designed to teach EBP competence. The EBP Competence Questionnaire (EBP-COQ) was administered before and after the intervention. Repeated-measure ANOVA was used to compare intervention and control group scores before and at two months after the 15-week intervention period. At 2months after the EBP course, mean EBP-COQ scores of the intervention group were significantly improved versus baseline in attitude (4.28 vs. 3.33), knowledge (3.92 vs. 2.82) and skills (4.01 vs. 2.75) dimensions, whereas little change was observed in control group scores over the same time period. Repeated-measures ANOVA revealed a significant effect of Time ×Group interaction on global competence and all three EBP-COQ dimensions. Undergraduate nursing students experience positive changes in EBP competence, knowledge, skills, and attitude as the result of a 15-week educational intervention on EBP. This EBP course may provide nursing school educators and policymakers with a useful model for integrating EBP teaching within the nursing curriculum. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Dominance Concept Inventory: A Tool for Assessing Undergraduate Student Alternative Conceptions about Dominance in Mendelian and Population Genetics.

PubMed

Abraham, Joel K; Perez, Kathryn E; Price, Rebecca M

2014-01-01

Despite the impact of genetics on daily life, biology undergraduates understand some key genetics concepts poorly. One concept requiring attention is dominance, which many students understand as a fixed property of an allele or trait and regularly conflate with frequency in a population or selective advantage. We present the Dominance Concept Inventory (DCI), an instrument to gather data on selected alternative conceptions about dominance. During development of the 16-item test, we used expert surveys (n = 12), student interviews (n = 42), and field tests (n = 1763) from introductory and advanced biology undergraduates at public and private, majority- and minority-serving, 2- and 4-yr institutions in the United States. In the final field test across all subject populations (n = 709), item difficulty ranged from 0.08 to 0.84 (0.51 ± 0.049 SEM), while item discrimination ranged from 0.11 to 0.82 (0.50 ± 0.048 SEM). Internal reliability (Cronbach's alpha) was 0.77, while test-retest reliability values were 0.74 (product moment correlation) and 0.77 (intraclass correlation). The prevalence of alternative conceptions in the field tests shows that introductory and advanced students retain confusion about dominance after instruction. All measures support the DCI as a useful instrument for measuring undergraduate biology student understanding and alternative conceptions about dominance. © 2014 J. K. Abraham et al. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2014 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

The Voluntariat: A Frieirean framework to understand the nature of undergraduate international (medical) experiences.

PubMed

Qaiser, Seemi; Dimaras, Helen; Hamel, Paul

2016-12-01

Despite literature documenting limited and asymmetrical benefits along with ethical issues, short-term international volunteering is increasingly popular among North American university students as a perceived advantage when applying to professional healthcare schools or the job market. Academic institutions are also encouraging students to pursue international experiences in order to cultivate values as global citizens. These experiences are most typically limited to economically privileged students. Furthermore, international activities in developing countries often lack a pedagogy of social justice and may confirm a simplistic understanding of development. Brazilian educator Paulo Freire's "liberation pedagogy" provides a framework for understanding the limitations of international volunteering, whereby the presence of privileged volunteers implementing Western models of development may hinder aspects of local movements. Regardless, university students face intense competition in accessing opportunities, such as medical school, and pay large sums to participate in volunteering to strengthen their academic credentials. We propose that these students form "the voluntariat." They simultaneously play two roles by, first, contributing to the conditions that oppress the very communities in which they volunteer and, second, by playing a role as objects of oppression by the liberal institutions of learning and employment to which they are attempting to gain access.

Just fun or a prejudice? - physician stereotypes in common jokes and their attribution to medical specialties by undergraduate medical students.

PubMed

Harendza, Sigrid; Pyra, Martin

2017-07-26

Many jokes exist about stereotypical attributes of physicians in various specialties, which could lead to prejudices against physicians from a specific specialty. It is unknown whether and when medical students are aware of stereotypes about different specialties. The goal of this study was to analyze the degree of stereotypes that exist about medical specialties amongst undergraduate medical students at different stages of their education. One hundred fifty-two jokes with different content about attributes of physicians from different specialties were found by an internet search. In total, 36 characteristics of the five specialties of anesthesia, general surgery, internal medicine, orthopedics, and psychiatry were extracted from the jokes and they constituted the basis for the development of an online questionnaire. The questionnaire allowed each characteristic to be assigned to one of the five specialties and was sent to 999 undergraduate medical students from semester 1, 7, and 12 at the Medical Faculty of Hamburg University. Three hundred eight (30.8%) of the invited students completed the survey. The characteristics of general surgeons and psychiatrists were assigned congruently most frequently (>50%). For internists and orthopedics, there was a significantly more congruent assignment of the characteristics by final year students versus students in their first semester. Male students assigned the characteristics of anesthetists and internists significantly more congruently than female students. The three characteristics "…are a bit slow on the uptake", "…consider income to be relatively unimportant", and "...apologize a lot" were not assigned to any of the five specialties by more than 50% of the students. While stereotypes about physicians from certain specialties seem to exist commonly, medical educators need to be aware that stereotypes about specialties might develop during undergraduate medical training. In order to support students in their professional identity formation without developing stereotypes, medical educators should receive training. Performing a similar study with physicians in postgraduate training would shed some light on stereotypes and prejudices that might develop at a later stage in medical education.

A single instrument: engineering and engineering technology students demonstrating competence in ethics and professional standards.

PubMed

Feldhaus, Charles R; Wolter, Robert M; Hundley, Stephen P; Diemer, Tim

2006-04-01

This paper details efforts by the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) to create a single instrument for honors science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) students wishing to demonstrate competence in the IUPUI Principles of Undergraduate Learning (PUL's) and Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) Engineering Accreditation Criterion (EAC) and Technology Accreditation Criterion (TAC) 2, a through k. Honors courses in Human Behavior, Ethical Decision-Making, Applied Leadership, International Issues and Leadership Theories and Processes were created along with a specific menu of activities and an assessment rubric based on PUL's and ABET criteria to evaluate student performance in the aforementioned courses. Students who complete the series of 18 Honors Credit hours are eligible for an Honors Certificate in Leadership Studies from the Department of Organizational Leadership and Supervision. Finally, an accounting of how various university assessment criteria, in this case the IUPUI Principles of Undergraduate Learning, can be linked to ABET outcomes and prove student competence in both, using the aforementioned courses, menu of items, and assessment rubrics; these will be analyzed and discussed.

The Svalbard REU Program: Undergraduates Pursuing Arctic Climate Change Research on Svalbard, Norway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roof, S.; Werner, A.

2007-12-01

The Svalbard Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program sponsored by the Arctic Natural Sciences Program of the National Science Foundation has been successfully providing international field research experiences since 2004. Each year, 7-9 undergraduate students have participated in 4-5 weeks of glacial geology and climate change fieldwork on Spitsbergen in the Svalbard archipelago in the North Atlantic (76- 80° N lat.). While we continue to learn new and better ways to run our program, we have learned specific management and pedagogical strategies that allow us to streamline our logistics and to provide genuine, meaningful research opportunities to undergraduate students. We select student participants after extensive nationwide advertising and recruiting. Even before applying to the program, students understand that they will be doing meaningful climate change science, will take charge of their own project, and will be expected to continue their research at their home institution. We look for a strong commitment of support from a student's advisor at their home institution before accepting students into our program. We present clear information, including participant responsibilities, potential risks and hazards, application procedures, equipment needed, etc on our program website. The website also provides relevant research papers and data and results from previous years, so potential participants can see how their efforts will contribute to growing body of knowledge. New participants meet with the previous years' participants at a professional meeting (our "REUnion") before they start their field experience. During fieldwork, students are expected to develop research questions and test their own hypotheses while providing and responding to peer feedback. Professional assessment by an independent expert provides us with feedback that helps us improve logistical procedures and shape our educational strategies. The assessment also shows us how participant attitudes toward science and research evolved during their participation. Finally, close collaboration with a local institution, the Norwegian University System on Svalbard (UNIS), has not only been essential to the success of our program, but also highly rewarding.

Mission design software development at the University of Texas at Austin

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fowler, Wallace T.

1993-01-01

This paper describes the development process, the contents, the update process, and the various uses of a space mission planning FORTRAN subroutine library. This document is written by graduate (and undergraduate) students at the University of Texas at Austin and is used by students in several courses, primarily design courses. The library has been made available to faculty and students at several schools and was provided to students at the 1991 International Space University in Toulouse, France. This paper describes the mission library, its creation, its checking, its update procedure, and the teaching philosophy and procedures involved in its use.

Looking for a Taste of Home: A Qualitative Study of the Health Implications of the Diets of Australian - Based Southeast Asian Students

PubMed Central

Leu, Jodie H.; Banwell, Cathy

2016-01-01

Purpose: To investigate potential dietary changes among Southeast Asian international students living in self-catered accommodation while studying abroad and to consider implications for their health. Design: Participants were interviewed about their food preferences and behaviours in their home countries and during their undergraduate studies at the Australian National University. Setting: A university in Australia Participants: Study participants were full-time undergraduate students over 18 years of age from Southeast Asian countries studying at the Australian National University for at least one year, and living at self-catered accommodation. Methods: Thirty-one, in-depth, face-to-face qualitative interviews concerning usual diets were collected over a three month period in 2013. Interviews were coded and analysed with the aid of a computer program Atlas.ti. Results: The macro-nutrient content of Southeast Asian international students’ diets did not change a great deal when they moved to Australia. Most students replaced some preferred foods on occasions because they either could not afford them, they were not available or they lacked time to prepare them. These dietary changes were not necessarily reflected in changes to students’ weights and most students considered that they were as healthy as when they lived at home. Conclusion: As students’ adapt to a new food environment they reflexively manage potential health risks. Strong student networks and an accessible and healthy food environment would support students to make healthy dietary choices although additional information about healthy diets could facilitate this further. PMID:26493434

The Influence of Student Gender on the Assessment of Undergraduate Student Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Birch, Phil; Batten, John; Batey, Jo

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of perceived student gender on the feedback given to undergraduate student work. Participants (n = 12) were lecturers in higher education and were required to mark two undergraduate student essays. The first student essay that all participants marked was the "control" essay.…

Values--A Study of Teacher and Student Perceptions in Four Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mahmud, Shamsul H.; Warchal, Judith R.; Masuchi, Ayumi; Ahmed, Rafiq; Schoelmerich, Axel

2009-01-01

The study aimed to assess and compare the values prevalent among the students and teachers of Universities in Bangladesh, Japan, USA and Germany. The sample consisted of 480 students and 236 teachers. The sample included 120 undergraduate students from Japan; 120 undergraduate students from Bangladesh; 120 undergraduate students from USA, and 120…

Graduate and Undergraduate Students Together: An Experiential Learning Model for Teaching Student Development Theory in Student Personnel Preparation Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Champagne, Delight E.

Undergraduates on college campuses are one of the best resources for learning about college student development. Nonetheless, graduate programs which prepare student personnel professionals have typically neglected to involve undergraduates in courses which attempt to teach student development theory and research. Without input and feedback from…

AGU Activities to Promote Undergraduate Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grove, K.; Johnson, R.; Giesler, J.

2001-05-01

A primary goal of the AGU Committee on Education and Human Resources (CEHR) is to significantly increase the participation of undergraduate students at AGU meetings. Involving students in scientific meetings at this level of their education helps them to better prepare for graduate school and for a career in the geophysical sciences. Ongoing CEHR activities to promote undergraduate participation include: (1) sponsoring technical sessions to showcase undergraduate research; (2) sponsoring sessions about careers and other topics of special interest to students; (3) sponsoring workshops to inform faculty about doing research with undergraduates; (4) sponsoring meeting events to partner graduate student mentors with first-time undergraduate attendees; (5) working with sections to create situations where undergraduates and section scientists can interact; (6) creating a guide for first-time meeting attendees; (7) sponsoring an Academic Recruiting Forum at meetings to connect undergraduates with geophysical graduate programs; (8) running a Career Center at meetings to connect students and employers; (9) raising funds for more travel grants to provide more student support to attend meetings; (10) developing a listserve to inform AGU members about opportunities to do research with undergraduates and to involve more members in mentoring activities; and (11) collecting data, such as career outcomes and demographic characteristics of recent Ph.D. recipients, that are of interest to students.

Factors impacting on psychological wellbeing of international students in the health professions: A scoping review.

PubMed

McKenna, Lisa; Robinson, Eddie; Penman, Joy; Hills, Danny

2017-09-01

There are increasing numbers of international students undertaking health professional courses, particularly in Western countries. These courses not only expose students to the usual stresses and strains of academic learning, but also require students to undertake clinical placements and practice-based learning. While much is known about general issues facing international students, less is known about factors that impact on those studying in the health professions. To explore what is known about factors that influence the psychological wellbeing of international students in the health professions. A scoping review. A range of databases were searched, including CINAHL, Medline, Scopus, Proquest and ERIC, as well as grey literature, reference lists and Google Scholar. The review included qualitative or quantitative primary peer reviewed research studies that focused on international undergraduate or postgraduate students in the health professions. The core concept underpinning the review was psychological issues, with the outcome being psychological and/or social wellbeing. Thematic analysis across studies was used to identify key themes emerging. A total of 13 studies were included in the review, from the disciplines of nursing, medicine and speech-language pathology. Four key factor groups emerged from the review: negotiating structures and systems, communication and learning, quality of life and self-care, and facing discrimination and social isolation. International health professional students face similar issues to other international students. The nature of their courses, however, also requires negotiating different health care systems, and managing a range of clinical practice issues including with communication, and isolation and discrimination from clinical staff and patients. Further research is needed to specifically explore factors impacting on student well-being and how international students can be appropriately prepared and supported for their encounters. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.